​Don’t delay cataract surgery

With feedback from CEENTA cataract surgeons Payal Patel, MD (Monroe), Vipul Shah, MD (Blakeney, Monroe), and Lee Wiley, MD (Pineville, Steele Creek)

COVID-19 has led many people to put off surgeries they feel are unnecessary until after the pandemic. But some surgeries, even for conditions that aren’t life-threatening, should not be delayed. Today, some of our cataract surgeons will talk about why you shouldn’t put off cataract surgery.

The quality of life impact

As cataracts worsen, patients can have difficulty driving at night, reading, watching TV, and seeing the computer, CEENTA Ophthalmologist Vipul Shah, MD, said.

“One of the greatest risks of waiting too long for cataract surgery, in my opinion, is unnecessarily living with poor vision and a decreased quality of life which could have been addressed much earlier,” CEENTA Ophthalmologist Lee Wiley, MD, said. “In most cases, we recommend treating cataracts when they first become visually significant.”

“In our current situation, many people have felt trapped as they are stuck at home, only now with worsening vision,” CEENTA Ophthalmologist Payal Patel, MD, said.

The surgical impact

“If a cataract becomes more severe, there is an increased risk of complications during surgery, as well as longer healing afterwards,” Dr. Shah said.

If left untreated, cataracts may become “hyper-mature,” which can lead to elevated intraocular pressure and crowding of the structures within the eye in the most severe cases. Hyper-mature cataracts can sometimes make surgery more complex for the surgeon and require maneuvers or instrumentation which are not used in more routine cases. This can also prolong healing time or require secondary procedures to fully rehabilitate the vision.

CEENTA and cataract surgery

Don’t worry that it’s too late for cataract surgery if you let the pandemic delay it.

“We routinely treat cataracts of all type, so it is never too late for an evaluation,” Dr. Wiley said.

“This year has shown many of us how quickly normalcy can change. I think it has helped all of us grasp how important our health and overall well-being is,” Dr. Patel said. “Now, more than ever, I encourage my patients to invest in themselves.”

To invest in yourself and your vision, request an appointment at CEENTA today.

This blog is for informational purposes. For specific medical questions, please consult your doctor. If you would like an appointment with any of CEENTA’s nearly 30 cataract surgeons, call 704-295-3000. You can also schedule an appointment online or through myCEENTAchart.