Beyond Improved Vision: 3 Unexpected Benefits of Cataract Surgery

Cataracts are common, especially as you get older. More than 25 million Americans have a cataract, and researchers estimate that number will increase to 38.5 million by 2032 and 45.6 million by 2050.

Cataracts are increasingly prevalent among older people, with an estimated 1 in 5 adults over 65 dealing with them. As you get older, proteins in your eye start to break down and clump together on the lens, clouding your vision. 

Cataracts develop slowly, so you may even have a cataract right now but not realize it. Symptoms of cataracts include blurry vision, double vision, sensitivity to light, and seeing faded or washed out colors. 

Treatment for early vision problems may include glasses to help you see better. As your cataract grows larger and further impacts your vision and your life, cataract surgery is your next option. Cataract surgery is a common, safe, and effective procedure. 

What is cataract surgery?

Cataract surgery is an outpatient procedure. At Smart Eye Care, we offer both traditional cataract surgery and advanced bladeless cataract surgery. 

With traditional cataract surgery, a small incision is made to remove the lens that has the cloudy cataract. A clear, artificial lens is put in its place.

During bladeless cataract surgery, which is an option for viable candidates, a special LenSx® femtosecond laser dissects the clouded lens to remove it. During this procedure, the clouded lens is replaced with an artificial lens that can improve your vision, correcting astigmatism, or improving nearsightedness and farsightedness. 

Benefits of cataract surgery

In addition to improving your clouded or blurred vision, there are bonus benefits to cataract surgery. They include:

Living glasses-free

Depending on the type of cataract surgery and artificial lenses you have implanted, you may be able to see better than you have in a while. With advanced technology intraocular lens implants, your vision may be corrected entirely so that you can see fine print, far away, and at night without glasses or contacts.

Improved quality of life

As your vision slowly diminishes with cataracts, you may begin to forgo activities that you once enjoyed, such as reading, driving, or watching movies. Once your vision impairment is corrected, you can resume all of those activities without concern.  

Decreased risk of falling

Again, as your vision begins to fail, you may increase your risk of falls. Falls are the leading cause of fatal and non-fatal injuries for older Americans. Poor vision is one of the top risk factors for older adults for falling. Improved vision reduces that risk.   

Do you know or suspect you have a cataract? Call one of Smart Eye Care’s two Brooklyn locations to arrange your consultation, or request your appointment using the convenient online booking feature. You can also send our team a message here on the website.