For many patients, cataract surgery can eliminate or reduce the need to wear eyeglasses. Several factors come into play, including your current eyeglasses prescription, the presence or degree of astigmatism and the intraocular lens implant you choose.
Mayo Clinic explains that most people still need to wear glasses, at least for some activities, following cataract surgery. Your vision should be greatly improved, but you will still need to get a new prescription for your glasses.
Many people assume that cataract surgery will give them "perfect" 20/20 vision, but this isn't always the case. In fact, some people may still need glasses or contacts to see clearly after surgery.
When these are removed and replaced with a clear lens implant (intraocular lens, IOL), vision is restored. So, yes, cataract surgery improves vision – usually as soon as the next day – and for some people, it's even better than before.
It is very common to have blurry or unclear vision in the days and sometimes even weeks after cataract removal. Most of the time, this is caused by normal swelling in the eye which occurs as a part of surgery. Patients with larger, denser and/or firmer cataracts are more likely to experience more inflammation.
Some change to your current glasses prescription is usually needed after the surgery, whatever lens is chosen. If you have never needed to use prescription glasses in the past, you will need to start using them after your cataract operation.
High success rates
Most people do exceedingly well with cataract surgery. Its success rate is about 99 percent. Complications from cataract surgery are rare but may include corneal swelling and/or inflammation in the eyes.
A posterior subcapsular cataract often interferes with your reading vision, reduces your vision in bright light, and causes glare or halos around lights at night. These types of cataracts tend to progress faster than other types do.
Anisometropia is another way of describing an imbalance between the two eyes. This can sometimes happen following surgery, as your brain tries to adjust to the changes in your vision. Cataract surgery involves replacing the natural lens of your eye with an artificial one.
Research shows vision stabilizes within two weeks.
It can be tough for patients to wait for a new spectacle prescription after cataract surgery, especially those whose uncorrected near vision affects their quality of life. Luckily, new data suggests they only need to wait two weeks.
A secondary cataract, or “after-cataract,” is a misnomer and not really a cataract at all. This issue occurs when an opaque film grows over the sac or membrane that holds your new lens in place. This can make your vision become cloudy or blurry again, mimicking the original symptoms of cataracts.
It is usually advisable to wait for closer to a month following surgery before getting any new prescription eyeglasses. Because the prescription may not be stable until then, doing this too soon may result in having to change your eyeglasses a second time.
Cataract surgery and sunglasses
You could even cause your cataracts to return as UV rays are one of the leading causes of cataracts. That's why doctors recommend you wearing sunglasses outside for the first year after your surgery.
Do not bend over or do any strenuous activities, such as biking, jogging, weight lifting, or aerobic exercise, for 2 weeks or until your doctor says it is okay. Avoid swimming, hot tubs, gardening, and dusting for 1 to 2 weeks. Wear sunglasses on bright days for at least 1 year after surgery.
People with dark brown eyes have the greatest risk of developing cataracts. An Australian study found that the risk can be up to 2.5 times greater for certain types of cataracts. Researchers suspect the reason is similar to wearing a black shirt in the middle of summer.
Trauma-related cataracts are typically the most fast-growing type of cataracts. Radiation: Radiation-related cataracts, sometimes listed under trauma-related cataracts, occur after the lens has been exposed to radiation. Exposure to high levels of radiation can result in clouded vision in as little as two years.
Most cataracts are related to age — they happen because of normal changes in your eyes as you get older. But you can get cataracts for other reasons — like after an eye injury or after surgery for another eye problem (like glaucoma).
In most people, cataracts start developing around age 60, and the average age for cataract surgery in the United States is 73. However, changes in the lenses of our eyes start to affect us in our 40's.
Doctors suggest winter as a good time to get the surgery done as the season can help you recover quickly. But it is not really stringent, all you need to keep in mind is if the vision is getting excessively blurred and your daily activities are getting hampered, then get the cataract removed as soon as possible.
The simplest answer is this: The right time for surgery is when your cataracts have begun to interfere with your quality of life, and glasses and/or contacts no longer satisfy your visual needs.
Unless you have some other eye illness or pathology like macular degeneration or glaucoma, your vision after cataract surgery should remain every good.
Cataract surgery removes the front part of the lens but leaves the back in place. That's where you may get a secondary cataract, also called posterior capsule opacification (PCO). When that happens, your vision may get cloudy again. It usually happens eventually after cataract surgery.
Prescription Glasses and Cataracts
While prescription glasses cannot directly treat or cure cataracts, the right prescription lenses can help to correct blurry vision and other vision problems caused by cataracts.
After surgery, your eyes are healing and are more sensitive to the sun's rays than usual. Anytime you go outside, you need to wear sunglasses. Whether it's raining or sunny, the sun is giving off damaging UV rays. You need to wear sunglasses to protect your eyes from this UV radiation.
Here are some things that you may want to avoid before and after cataract surgery to ensure that you heal properly. Avoiding eating and drinking before your surgery. Don't wear makeup to the surgery appointment, and avoid wearing makeup until your ophthalmologist allows it so that you can better prevent infection.