The Benefits of Cataract Surgery
Cataracts cloud or blur your vision, dull colors, and make driving at night difficult due to glare. Cataract surgery replaces your clouded lens with a clear, artificial lens, improving your vision. Beyond sharpening your vision, cataract surgery offers a few other advantages as well.
Improved Color Perception
Colors look faded and dull when the clear lens inside the eye becomes cloudy. The lens, located just behind the iris and pupil, bends light as it enters your eyes. Bending the light ensures that it focuses directly on the retina, the light-sensing layer of cells at the back of the eye.
A cloudy lens decreases the amount of light that reaches the retina. As a result, colors don't look quite as vibrant as they once did. During cataract surgery, your ophthalmologist replaces your cloudy lens with an artificial lens called an intraocular lens implant (IOL). After cataract surgery, colors appear richer and brighter, thanks to your new lens.
Safer Driving
Do you feel uncomfortable driving at night due to glare and halos around lights? Cataract surgery can restore your confidence and may reduce your risk for accidents. According to a 2018 research study published in Age and Ageing, cataract surgery on one eye resulted in a 61% decrease in accidents in Australian drivers, while surgery on the second eye decreased crashes by 23%.
Reduced Reliance on Eyeglasses
The type of IOL you choose could mean that you won't need to wear eyeglasses after your surgery or won't need to rely on your glasses as much as you do now. Monofocal IOLs provide good vision at either near or far distances. The American Academy of Ophthalmology notes most people opt for good distance vision when choosing monofocal IOLs. If you select this option, you'll need reading glasses for viewing close objects.
Do you currently wear bifocals, trifocals, or progressive lenses? You might prefer the flexibility of multifocal IOLs. These lenses include several different powers for clear vision both near and far.
Accommodative IOLs work with eye muscles to provide sharp vision at any distance. Extended depth-of-focus IOLs have one stretched zone that covers both distance and intermediate vision, while toric IOLs correct astigmatism.
Slight changes in vision can occur as the eye heals. Unlike other IOLs, light-adjustable lenses can be adjusted if needed after surgery. Health insurance usually covers the cost of monofocal IOLs. You will pay an additional out-of-pocket fee if you choose other options.
A More Robust Social Life
Cataracts affect every aspect of your life, including your social life. If driving at night is difficult, you may skip your usual Saturday night get-togethers with friends or give up activities you enjoy. Cataract surgery restores your independence, allowing you to become socially active again.
Fewer Falls
It's not easy to see loose rugs or other trip-and-fall hazards when your vision is blurry or cloudy. Although your risk for falls increases with age, cataracts further increase their likelihood. More than 25% of adults 65 and older fall every year, according to the National Institute on Aging (NIA).
Unfortunately, the older you get, the more devastating falls can become. In addition to limiting your mobility, breaking a bone could cause or worsen other health problems. Improving your vision with cataract surgery can help you avoid potentially devastating falls.
Lower Dementia Risk
Cataract surgery could even help you lower your risk of dementia. Researchers from the Kellogg Eye Center at Michigan Medicine reported a much higher risk of dementia in older adults with vision problems. In another study published in JAMA Internal Medicine, researchers reporter that older adults lowered their risk of dementia after cataract surgery. Although the link between eyesight and dementia isn't completely understood, researchers theorize that poor vision could decrease cognitive stimulation in the brain.
Wondering if cataract surgery could improve your vision? Contact our office to schedule an appointment with the ophthalmologist.
Sources:
American Academy of Ophthalmology: Factors to Consider When Choosing an IOL for Cataracts, 12/12/2022
https://www.aao.org/eye-health/tips-prevention/best-artificial-lens-implant-iol-cataract-surgery
National Institute on Aging: Falls and Fractures in Older Adults: Causes and Prevention, 9/12/2022
Michigan Medicine: Study Shows Dementia More Common in Older Adults with Vision Issues, 8/22/2023
JAMA Internal Medicine: Association Between Cataract Extraction and Development of Dementia, 12/6/2021
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/2786583/
Age and Ageing: The Impact of First- and Second-Eye Cataract Surgery on Motor Vehicle Crashes and
Associated Costs, 9/12/2018
https://academic.oup.com/ageing/article/48/1/128/5108517
American Academy of Ophthalmology: Cataract Surgery: Risks, Recovery, Costs, 10/9/2024
https://www.aao.org/eye-health/diseases/what-is-cataract-surgery
National Eye Institute: Cataracts, 11/15/2023
https://www.nei.nih.gov/learn-about-eye-health/eye-conditions-and-diseases/cataracts
