What to Expect in Your Cataract Surgery Consultation
If you have cataracts, you’re not alone — nearly 25 million people over the age of 40 in the U.S. deal with this common eye condition. By age 65, more than 90% of people will experience cataracts. Fortunately, it’s possible to get your vision and your life back! Cataract Surgery is a safe and effective solution with a 99% success rate. And it all starts with your cataract surgery consultation. Keep reading to learn what you can expect during your appointment.
Before Your Cataract Surgery Consultation
We know your time is valuable, so we will try to get all the information we need at your first appointment. Be sure to block off at least two hours for your visit.
If you wear contacts, you may be advised to stop wearing them in the weeks leading to your cataract surgery evaluation. For soft lenses, stop wearing them one week before your appointment. If you wear hard or rigid gas permeable contact lenses we recommend staying out of the hard lenses for 3 weeks prior to your appointment. You will also have to have extra sets of measurements repeated over extra visits. We implement this step because contacts can alter the shape of your cornea and throw off necessary measurements for surgery.
We recommend reading and researching the various lens options available to you. Modern cataract surgery is a great opportunity to reduce the need for glasses part time and in some cases some patients can be free of glasses for most of the day.
Please read through this link to explore your intraocular lens options:
What Happens During Your Cataract Surgery Evaluation
1. Eye Measurements
We use state-of-the-art equipment to record the curvature, length of the eye, and other measurements needed for your new intraocular lenses (IOL). These calculations allow us to provide the best results with ideal implants to match your lifestyle needs.
If your cataracts are already classified as visually significant, this step may come first. We do this because, along with contacts, the eye drops used for dilation and other tests can change the shape of the eye.
2. Comprehensive Eye Exam
Whether you’ve already been diagnosed or not, you will undergo tests and dilation to verify your eye health at your appointment. During this step, the technician will measure your visual acuity, how glare affects your ability to see, your glasses prescription, and eye pressure. They will then dilate your eyes using drops, which widen the pupils and give the eye doctors a better view inside your eye.
3. Meet with Your Doctor
Next, you will meet with your cataract surgeon. After discussing your symptoms, visual goals, lifestyle habits, and examining your test results, they will provide surgical recommendations. This is also the perfect time to ask any questions you may have.
4. Set Your Vision Correction Surgery
Finally, you will meet with a surgical coordinator to review your insurance benefits, complete paperwork, and schedule your cataract surgery based on the doctor’s recommendations.
At this time, they will also highlight any necessary consultations with your primary care physician, cardiologist, pulmonologist, etc.
5. Pre-Surgery Checklist
Depending on your schedule, you will leave the office with all the information you need to know before your vision correction surgery and specific instructions for the days leading up to it. This includes steps for medicated eye drops and discontinuing contact lenses.
What to Bring to Your Cataract Surgery Consultation
In order to make sure your cataract surgery consultation goes smoothly, you should bring a few things with you to your appointment:
- A list of symptoms you’ve been experiencing, even if they seem unrelated
- A list of your current prescription and over-the-counter medications, including vitamins and supplements
- Any questions you may have about before, during, or after your surgery
- Transportation for after your evaluation as dilation can make driving dangerous
Your consultation is the first and most necessary step for improving your eyesight and we look forward to providing you with the best care possible.
