Cataract Surgery Options – Austin Eye

WHAT HAPPENS DURING MY EXAMINATION?

During your eye exam, we will utilize advanced diagnostic tests to determine which cataract surgery option would best suit your needs. There are varying reasons that determine the type of procedure we offer a patient. Since everyone’s eyes and visual needs are different, your surgeon will evaluate your eyes and inform you what your best option is. When a patient is interested in premium cataract surgery, we perform more extensive testing to make sure the patient is a good candidate. One of the tests that we perform takes a high-definition picture of the back part of the patient’s eye known as the macula. The doctor will evaluate the health of the patient’s eye to see if a premium lens will be of benefit to the patient. We also perform a test known as cornea topography, which takes a topographical map of the cornea (front window of the eye) and maps out and quantifies your astigmatism. These tests allow the surgeon to see exactly which procedure will best benefit your eyes. For patients age 45 and older, we carefully explain the options, risks and benefits to each patient.

PAYING FOR CATARACT SURGERY

Austin Eye offers a convenient monthly payment plan through a company known as CareCredit. CareCredit is like a medical credit card which can be used to pay for your surgery. You can pay for your surgery over a 24-month period in convenient monthly payments with deferred interest on the amount you finance. CareCredit can be used for any type of procedure you decide to have done, and it is a convenient way to make elective surgery more affordable for you. When you come in for your consultation, we can contact your insurance provider to obtain an estimate of costs for your surgery.

To summarize, when you have a cataract you have options. Our physicians and staff will help guide you to the option that works best to suit your lifestyle. Fortunately, cataract surgery is now a quick, painless, safe outpatient procedure done routinely by Dr. Shannon Wong, Dr. John Odette and Dr. Max Medert. Cataract surgery is performed weekly Monday-Thursday by our team of ophthalmologists.

WHAT HAPPENS DURING CATARACT SURGERY?

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Cataract surgery is one of the most common surgical procedures performed in the United States. Our Austin surgeons have performed tens of thousands of cataract surgeries and are among the most experienced in the country. Your cataract surgery is a convenient outpatient procedure. We will numb your eyes with anesthetic eye drops. We will give you a valium tablet prior to surgery to ease your nerves and help you stay relaxed and calm during your procedure. Our nursing and surgical team will help you feel at ease before, during and after your surgery.

The procedure is painless and done under local eye drop anesthesia, usually taking 10-15 minutes, during which time the cataract is removed from the eye with microscopic instruments in a sterile operating room. The cataract is removed from inside a clear capsular sac that holds the natural lens inside the eye. A clear intraocular lens (IOL) implant is then inserted into the capsular sac. The eye typically seals naturally after surgery without the need for stitches.

After cataract surgery, vision improves rapidly and there is typically minimal to no discomfort. You may use your eye, wash your face, shower and do normal at-home activities the day of surgery. The day after surgery, vision is good to excellent and most individuals can drive and return to normal activity.

At Austin Eye, we realize that having your vision restored through lens replacement is a life-changing decision that will improve your quality of life. We appreciate the trust you have placed in us in choosing our practice and surgeons to correct your vision.

Cataract surgery results in safe and successful outcome in approximately 98-99 percent of eyes treated. Like any surgical procedure, there are risks. During your visit with your surgeon, the risks, benefits and surgical alternatives will be discussed with you. Fortunately, cataract surgery is one of the most common and safest surgical procedures performed in the U.S. today, with over 4 million procedures performed annually.

Approximately 40 percent of patients having cataract surgery choose basic fixed-focus lens implants. With such lens implants, reading glasses and/or bifocals are usually required to achieve one’s best vision after surgery. Approximately 60 percent of patients having cataract surgery choose state-of-the-art premium lens implants to help them see younger and become less dependent on glasses altogether. The individuals who desire clear vision near, far and in between without glasses after cataract surgery can choose to upgrade to one of these state-of-the-art lenses.

Cataract surgery for most of our cataracts Austin patients is performed at Austin Eye Laser and Surgicenter, located at our 2700 Bee Cave Road, Austin, TX 78746 building. This specially designed surgical center is dedicated exclusively to eye surgery and is equipped with the most advanced cataract surgery instrumentation and equipment available. The Austin Eye Laser and Surgicenter is certified by the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC) and Medicare.

For more information about cataracts and/or cataract surgery, please call 512-250-2020 or email the physicians on staff to schedule your initial consultation.

WHAT IS THE “RIGHT TIME” TO HAVE CATARACT SURGERY?

Cataract surgery is indicated when one’s vision is sufficiently blurry to impair one’s ability to see comfortably while performing their usual activities. Usually your ophthalmologist will try to prescribe glasses to optimize vision before proceeding with cataract surgery. The timing of cataract surgery is dependent on your decision to proceed with surgery. There is no magic time by which a cataract must be removed from the eye. In fact, if a patient is happy with his or her blurred vision, the cataract can be left alone. As the person ages, the cataract will generally progress and the lens will become cloudier, further impairing vision.

Patients who choose cataract surgery do so because of one of two reasons: 1) Intolerance of the blur that the cataract creates (e.g., difficulty driving, reading, seeing the world clearly, watching TV) or 2) The desire to improve overall vision and reduce or possibly eliminate dependence on glasses. In essence, the ability to see younger without glasses is often a powerful incentive to pursue cataract surgery with a premium lens implant (IOL).