Cataract Surgery Saved My Eyesight
By Francis Taylor, Executive Editor
As my age approached three quarters of a century, I discovered that I had blurred vision in my right eye. I noticed it as I stopped at a stop light and rubbed my left eye. and was unable to read the license plate numbers on the vehicle in front of me, only a few feet away. With perfect, 20-10 vision as youngster, I panicked and thought I was going blind!
I immediately set an appointment with my Ophthalmologist to find out why my right eye was not seeing clearly. After a thorough examination, it was determined that I had cataracts and would require cataract surgery to correct the problem.
Cataracts are a normal part of aging and form gradually as our eyes get older. Ninety percent of Americans develop them by the time they reach age 65. The good news, according to Dr. Angela Chen, who performed my 45 minute surgery, is that cataract surgery is one of the safest, most common, and most effective procedures performed today.
Cataract surgery is a routine procedure that involves removing the natural lens in the eye that has become cloudy and replacing it with an artificial lens (known as an intraocular lens or IOL). The only way to treat cataracts is through cataract surgery. This safe and highly successful procedure is performed by an ophthalmologist in under an hour.
During my surgery, I received local anesthetics to numb the area around my eye and was given a sedative to help me relax. Through a tiny incision, the surgeon removed my clouded lens and replaced my original lens with the intraocular lens.
I received Intraocular Lens, model number DCB00, with +190D diopter, serial number 2308922304, by Johnson and Johnson, on January 17, 2024.
It is significant to note that the relaxing sedative did not keep me from asking a question during the procedure. I tried to ask Dr. Chen how the artificial lens would permanently adhere to my eyeball. She abruptly told me not to speak and ignored my question. After the surgery she explained that the surgery is quite delicate and requires that the patient remain completely still during the procedure.
Within hours after surgery, I was able to return to my daily activities and immediately noticed that my vision had dramatically improved. I was told to apply eye drops four times per day to prevent inflammation and infection, and the day after surgery I saw Dr. Chen for a post-op examination and again the following week. She reported that my lens was in the proper position and asked me to visit again after one month.
Could you have cataracts?
Vision trouble may be a sign of cataracts. Is glare from headlights or shadows from red lights stopping you from night driving? Can you spot your long shot on the golf course? Has the DMV informed you that they will not renew your driver’s license? If you are over age 50, and notice any changes in your eyesight, these could be symptoms of cataracts.
Other common cataract symptoms include: faded or dull colors, problems with glare sensitivity to light, halos around lights when driving, difficulty reading in low light, blurred or double vision, and frequent need to change your glasses prescription.
If you have any of these symptoms, do not panic! See your Ophthalmologist sooner rather than later.
