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If you have been told that you have a cataract, there is no need to be overly concerned as you are not alone. Each year in the United States, more than 2.5 million people have cataract surgery. Thanks to advanced surgical procedures and technology, cataract surgery is not only one of the most frequently performed surgical procedures in the United States, but it is also one of the safest and most successful surgical procedures that you can have. Cataract surgery is performed on an outpatient basis and usually only requires a few hours of your time from beginning to end.

To begin the procedure, your eye will be treated with an anesthetic so that you will feel little, if any discomfort. A tiny incision will be made and a microscopic instrument will be passed through it. Using ultrasound from the tip of the microscopic instrument, we will be able to gently break the cataract into pieces small enough to be washed away, drawn through the instrument and removed from the eye. Once your cataract has been removed, it can now be replaced by a new permanent Intraocular Lens Implant. The new lens is readily inserted and placed in position through the same tiny incision at the outer edge of the cornea through which the cataract was removed. After the procedure, you will rest for a short time at the surgery center before going home.

Usually we will arrange a visit to examine your eye within 24 hours after of your procedure. If necessary, your cataract surgeon may prescribe some eye drops for you to use and ask you to wear a protective shield, mainly at night to help you remember not to rub your eye. Although each patient heals a slight bit differently, most patients see well enough to return to their routine activities within a day or so after surgery.

Helping You Choose the Best Lens Implant

Today, your cataract surgeon is able to offer you a choice of a multifocal lens implant. A multifocal lens implant provides excellent vision after cataract surgery at a variety of distances. ReSTOR, and ReZoom are types of multifocal lens implants your cataract surgeon might suggest. Multifocal lens implants correct both your distance vision and your presbyopia after cataract surgery. For the vast majority of patients, having a multifocal lens implant means that you will be able to see at distance and up close without being dependent on glasses. So, patients choosing to have a multifocal lens implant will likely find that they can drive, watch television, read or do crafts-without the need for glasses.

Will I Need Glasses After Cataract Surgery?

In general, patients who choose to have monofocal lens implants will be dependent on glasses either some or most of the time in about 70% of cases. Patients who choose to have multifocal lens implants will only be dependent on glasses either some or most of the time in about 15% of cases. So, patients choosing multifocal lens implants typically experience a greater overall freedom from glasses allowing them to participate in most everyday activities without dependence on, or the hassle of glasses.

How Should I Choose the Type of Lens Implant?

As with any surgical procedure, there are risks as well as benefits.

During your consultation, examination and cataract surgery scheduling your cataract surgeon and their staff will the spend the time necessary to review what typical daily routine activities are most important to you-and whether being independent of glasses for those activities is something that you would like to achieve. As you prepare for your visit to our office, you may want to begin thinking about what those activities are so that you can discuss them with the staff.

In addition, if you decide to have a multifocal lens implant, the staff will take the time necessary to fully explain any additional fees related to the multifocal lens implant that you might be responsible for. Recent Medicare ruling allows Medicare patients to select this lens option and pay the difference in cost vs. standard "distance only correction" that Medicare already offers.  This provides a significant savings to qualified patients.

Call Eyes Over Texas Eye Care Center at 281-398-0747 to schedule your consultation today or use our convenient online appointment/consultation request form.