People tend to wait years to have cataracts removed, putting off cataract surgery for fear of the procedure or waiting until their vision is severely impacted. However, early cataract surgery may lead to fewer complications and allows people to enjoy a better quality of life in their golden years. Cataract surgery is one of the most successful and safe medical procedures, which is why more and more people opt to remove cataracts before vision impairment.
Most people will develop cataracts by their 70s. Being proactive with your eye health by treating cataracts early gives you more freedom to enjoy your family and lifestyle unencumbered by blurry vision. You may even eliminate your prescription eyeglasses!
Wiles Eye Center offers traditional cataract surgery and laser-assisted cataract surgery with advanced intraocular lens (IOL) implants to restore clear vision and improve common refractive errors, such as nearsightedness, farsightedness or astigmatism.
What Is A Cataract?
As you get older, the proteins inside the natural lens of your eye clump together and thicken, clouding the eye lens and preventing light from passing through to the retina. Cataracts cause a host of symptoms that may impact your ability to read, drive, watch TV and perform other daily functions.
Cataract symptoms include:
- Blurred or clouded vision
- Muted colors or a yellowish tint
- Double vision
- Light sensitivity
- Glare
- Halos around lights
- Poor night vision
- Vision impairment or blindness
Cataracts are diagnosed during comprehensive eye exams at our St. Joseph and Kansas City, Missouri offices. These visits are recommended annually to screen for early signs of eye diseases.
Cataract surgery removes the clouded lens and replaces it with an IOL for better vision. The procedure takes about 15 to 20 minutes, and recovery is often short with no hospital stay. Removing the thick, cloudy lens restores clear vision, including color vibrance, night vision and light sensitivity. Advanced IOLs offer sharper eyesight at multiple focal points and may help you get rid of prescription glasses, contacts and readers for good.
Wiles Eye Center offers high-quality, FDA-approved premium IOLs, including Tecnis, ReSTOR and Crystalens. These multifocal lenses address common vision problems, including presbyopia.
Why Have Cataract Surgery Before Vision Impairment?
Early cataract surgery prevents you from experiencing common issues with cataracts, such as difficulty reading or driving at night. You can enjoy good vision and eliminate corrective eyewear sooner for a better quality of life with more visual independence. Removing a cataract during early formation is often less challenging than a dense, hyper-mature cataract and may decrease some risks and reduce surgery time and recovery.
Cataract surgery may lower intraocular pressure (IOP) and provide better outcomes for glaucoma patients by improving IOP control. Thick cataracts increase eye pressure, and cataract surgery may prevent that pressure increase and improve glaucoma treatment response.
How Do I Know If I’m Ready For Cataract Surgery?
Our ophthalmologists will discuss your eye health and cataracts during your comprehensive eye exam. It’s important to understand you don’t need to wait until you’re struggling with significant vision impairment to have cataract surgery. Early cataract removal is safe and successful with a quick procedure and a short recovery.
Medical advancements and new techniques have made cataract surgery one of the safest procedures in modern medicine. It’s not too early to find out if you’re a candidate for cataract surgery.
Schedule an eye exam at Wiles Eye Center in St. Joseph, Missouri, at (816) 279-7015 or Kansas City, Missouri, at (816) 455-2020.
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