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 Every day I
see patients with blurred vision. They
have increasing problems reading, driving,
working, golfing or watching TV. Often we
change their glasses, and they are on
their way.
But, every day I examine two to three
patients who have cataracts and need
surgery. This Friday was more intense. I
was feeling drained and felt a headache
coming on, and I had only seen four
patients, two men and two women. Each one
had cataracts, and their active,
professional lives were about to be
interrupted. There was a doctor, a
dentist, a nurse and a lawyer, and they
were all only 10 to 15 years older than
me. I suddenly felt very old and mortal
and identified with each of them (OK,
maybe not the lawyer).
Each one had thought that a change of
glasses would be the answer, as it had
been for the past 30 to 40 years. Each one
was surprised to find that the leading
cause of blurred vision in people over 60
is cataracts; people over 60 often confuse
the blurring and distortion of their
vision with the need for stronger glasses.
Since there is no pain, pus or bloodshotness with cataracts, the slow
increase in blurred vision almost snuck up
on my patients.
They all agreed: Their vision had grown so
poor that it now threatened their
independence, work, safety, happiness and
physical abilities.
Understandably, they asked if any drops,
pills or vitamins could reverse it or
dissolve it. But they all admitted that
they knew deep in their hearty that the
only way to restore their vision would be
to have the cataract removed, and this
meant surgery.
Modern cataract surgery is one of the most
successful operations performed in
America, and the surgery has become
simple, safe and successful. There is no
hospital stay, and there are no sutures,
no needles stuck in the eye and no
sandbags like "the old days." Cataract
surgery is performed on an outpatient
basis with almost no discomfort. The
"no-stitch" cataract surgery with lens
implants allows for faster healing and
faster vision recovery.
Each year, nearly 2 million people in
America will develop cataracts that will
take away their driving, reading, working
or watching TV vision. With cataract
surgery and new lens implants, often
vision returns to 20/20, allowing patients
to return to their normal activities
almost immediately.
I shared my patients' enthusiasm for
regaining their vision and returning to
their jobs (OK, maybe not the lawyer).
The new microscopes, lens implants and new
lasers have revolutionized our ability to
restore vision.
P.S. Everyone regained 20/20 vision, even
the lawyer, and I can rest easy. That is,
until next Friday when four new patients
with blurred vision have the first four
morning appointments.
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