Should You Delay Cataract Surgery? When Waiting Makes Sense
If your eye doctor has diagnosed you with cataracts, but you have yet to experience any significant changes to your vision, you may be wondering whether you can wait to undergo cataract surgery. While you don’t want to risk the quality of your vision, surgery may seem unnecessary if you can still see clearly.
While surgery is the best treatment for cataracts, it is not always an immediate necessity. Keep reading to learn more about cataracts and some of the reasons why waiting for surgery might make sense.
Cataracts and Cataract Surgery
Cataracts occur when proteins within the natural lens of the eye break down and clump together, forming a cloud-like opacity. As these clumps build up, they cover more of the lens, preventing light from entering the eye and reaching the retina.
Cataracts develop in four stages: early (incipient), immature, mature, and hypermature. While they can be asymptomatic in the early stage, as they progress, cataract symptoms can cause significant vision loss and eventually lead to blindness.
The symptoms of cataracts include:
- Blurry, hazy, or clouded vision
- Sensitivity to bright light and glare
- Halos around lights
- Frequent changes to eye prescription
- Changes in color perception
- Pupils that appear yellow or milky white
Often, cataracts develop slowly, and it can take years for symptoms to start impacting vision. However, as cataracts advance, symptoms can begin to affect an individual’s day-to-day activities, making it difficult to read a book or unsafe to drive a car.
Cataract surgery is the most effective way to eliminate cataracts and to prevent them from returning. During the surgery, the natural lens of the eye affected by cataracts is removed and replaced with an artificial intraocular lens (IOL).
Choosing an IOL is a crucial part of planning for cataract surgery. While all IOLs restore clear vision, premium lenses are available that can improve vision at multiple distances, reducing your reliance on eyeglasses or contact lenses.
Deciding on the Right Time for Cataract Surgery
The right time for cataract surgery often depends on the stage at which cataracts are diagnosed. If they are diagnosed in the early stage, before symptoms have started to impact vision, delaying surgery is usually an option.
If an individual’s cataracts are starting to noticeably impair vision and affect their day-to-day life, surgery should be scheduled as soon as possible. While individual results vary, cataract surgery has a high success rate for reversing vision impairment caused by the condition.
When cataracts are diagnosed in the mature and hypermature stage, vision is likely to be significantly impaired, requiring immediate surgery. Cataracts in these stages can threaten eye health, and surgery on advanced cataracts can be more challenging, with lower success rates and a higher risk of complications.
If you’re wondering when the right time for cataract surgery might be, the best thing you can do is talk with your Idaho Falls cataract surgeon.
When It Might Make Sense to Delay Cataract Surgery
There are certain situations in which it might make sense to delay cataract surgery. These situations include:
Minimal Vision Impairment
If cataracts have been diagnosed, but the symptoms are mild or unnoticeable, it may be possible to wait for surgery. If vision impairment starts to affect the quality of an individual’s everyday life, it’s probably time to schedule surgery.
Early Stages of Cataracts
If early-stage cataracts are asymptomatic, an ophthalmologist might suggest waiting to have surgery. This is often the case for younger patients who may want to wait for surgery to ensure that vision improvement from their choice of IOL is long-lasting.
Big Life Event
If an individual has a big life event on the horizon, such as the wedding of one of their children or a once-in-a-lifetime vacation, it may make sense to delay surgery, with the consent of their ophthalmologist. While most patients have a quick and easy recovery, it can take up to six weeks for the eyes to fully heal.
Other Health Concerns
If a cataract patient has an untreated or uncontrolled chronic health concern, such as diabetes or glaucoma, it may be advisable to wait for surgery. Although cataract surgery is minimally invasive, it can put patients with an existing health condition at risk for complications.
Determining Whether You’re Ready for Cataract Surgery
While you should always follow the advice of your ophthalmologist, the American Academy of Ophthalmology has come up with a list of four questions patients should ask themselves when determining whether they are ready for cataract surgery:
- Do cataracts affect your daily life or performance at work?
Impaired vision caused by the symptoms of cataracts can make it challenging to complete tasks like cooking a meal or responding to emails.
- Are cataracts affecting your ability to drive safely at night?
The symptoms of cataracts often affect night vision first, making driving unsafe for both you and your fellow drivers.
- Are cataracts affecting your ability to enjoy outdoor activities?
Glare from reflective surfaces, such as a ski slope or a lake, can affect your ability to participate in the outdoor activities you enjoy.
- Can your cataracts be managed in other ways?
Developing cataract symptoms can sometimes be managed temporarily with brighter lighting or magnifying lenses.
If your cataracts are diagnosed before you start to experience impairment to your vision, it may not be necessary to rush into cataract surgery. However, treating cataracts early can prevent them from ever affecting the quality and clarity of your vision.
Do you want to learn more about cataract surgery or determine if it might be time for you to consider having the procedure? Schedule a cataract evaluation at Premier Eye Care of Eastern Idaho in Idaho Falls, ID, today!
