Latest cataract treatments?

I’m not sure what the latest update is about this issue, I was told that I needed this treatment done but I’m so afraid to do so, I’ve had life threatening surgeries for diseases that could cost me my life but this one really has me feeling fearful. I know that people have it done all the time with good results but there’s risk involved and losing my eyesight is a huge terror to me, there’s been lots of posts here from people who have gone through this and some of them were good and others were bad. All I know after seeing several doctors is they offer laser surgery or there’s also the older option of manual surgery, either way the risks are still there.

My big concern is not the removal of the lens, but what they replace it with. I am very nearly sighted (-5.25 in one eye and -6.00 in the other) and have an astigmatism. Don’t they make one chose between being corrected for distance or close up? How could I make such a difficult choice? I think cataract surgery works best on people with good eyesight. Just by humble opinion from talking to people who have had it done.

You have the same fears as me

Are you nearsighted too?

yes

@barbaradh

I have good eyesight in one eye and am legally blind in the other eye. I was terrified that something would go wrong and it would destroy my vision in my good eye. But I could see less and less every day. So I chose an experienced surgeon who used laser assisted cataract removal and prayed for the best.

My son drove me home. On the interstate I’m saying, “Look at the red car. Look at the blue car. Look at the green car. “ Finally he said, “Yes, mom. “ (Cataracts apparently destroy your color perception early.)

So far as lens choices. I think that there are new bifocal lenses which correct for both near and far distances, but their cost was not covered by my insurance. Someone here no doubt can confirm this. So my eyes were corrected for distance, but as usual I use glasses to read.

I had both eyes done. The surgeon said about the bad eye , “I can’t make it good, but I can make it better.” and he did. Best wishes as you go forward.

I recently spoke with a lady I worked with and she just had the cataract surgery, not the laser version, I know that she has very complex vision issues and she had a successful surgery done, in Canada you are medically covered if you have the physical procedure done rather then laser but you have to pay for your lenses. In her case the surgery went very well but her lenses were costly, also choose your doctor carefully, there’s too many of them today that want to get in on the profitable side of this surgery and they aren’t always well versed in this surgery, it’s like cosmetic surgery, everyone wanted a piece of the action and unfortunately it ruined many lives, they even have television shows about the many disasters caused by ill equipped medical professionals, buyers beware, it’s your eye, also I speak from experience, not cataract surgery but other eye surgery.

@methel tku sooo much..really appreciate it...

Tku for yr warning .its people like you who help other people with their Advice and share Experiences..that make this Site such a great Info Source. God Bless.

Another case of listening to the "I heard it on the grapevine"...... Cataract surgery is performed literally 10s of thousands of times a day with miniscule failure rate. ALL surgeries, even minor procedures come with risk. The issue becomes first does the reward (i.e. seeing) outweigh the risk? Heck, you stand a larger chance of getting hit by a car in a parking lot than a failed cataract surgery performed by a "non-production" competent surgeon who specializes in the process. There are "cataract machine" centers and then there are surgeons who are thorough, cautious and detailed.... This is a case of ensuring YOU have done your homework in seeking a competent and reputable surgeon and surgical location. That is not done on forums like this, but by researching providers credentials, histories, ratings & reviews (though problem is most only report "issues" and never report successes). My wife has been through the process, starting eye issues unrelated to cataracts and then dealing with the cataracts. She chose a surgeon who had a fully equipped, state of the art surgical center, with a long history of outstanding outcomes who took every precaution, up to and including having her assessed by another expert who deals with eye disease and retina issues. There were several assessment and testing visits, including a pre-op visit the day before for each eye. End of story was two surgeries, two weeks apart, perfect outcome..... BUT....we did "OUR" homework....and in the process visited three surgeons and promptly dismissed one and then the other..... It takes WORK on YOUR part........as the Canadian Docs on YOuTube say at the end of every program...."YOU are incharge of YOUR own health!"...