Posted on

Postoperative Care Tips for Successful Cataract Surgery Recovery

Postoperative care plays a significant role in a successful cataract surgery recovery. By using the right approach, you can ensure the healing process goes as smoothly as possible. If you want to make sure that you’re on the best possible path, here are some postoperative care tips for a successful cataract surgery recovery.

Follow All Instructions from Your Eye Care Provider

Your eye care provider will provide you with postoperative care instructions, and it’s critical to follow them precisely. The guidelines are designed to ensure your safe and speedy recovery, including reducing your chances of various complications, such as infections.

Review the instructions with your eye care provider before your procedure, and ask questions if you need clarity. Additionally, reach out to your eye care provider if you need clarification as you recover, as they’ll be happy to assist.

Protect Your Eyes from Trauma and Irritants

After cataract surgery, some eye discomfort is expected. However, you want to make sure that you don’t rub your eyes, as that can cause damage. Additionally, you want to protect your eyes from irritants like dust and pollen.

Since light sensitivity can also come with cataract surgery, wearing wraparound sunglasses is wise. Along with reducing the amount of light that hits your eye, they can help shield your eyes from potential irritants.

Similarly, wear your eye shield while sleeping. That ensures you don’t accidentally rub your eyes in your sleep or when first waking, as well as prevents accidental contact with bedding.

Don’t Participate in Strenuous Activities

Strenuous activity can increase eye pressure, which can hinder your recovery after cataract surgery. As a result, it’s best to avoid heavy lifting, high-intensity workouts, or similar activities after the procedure.

Additionally, try to avoid bending down into positions where your head ends up lower than your waist. That can also increase eye pressure, so it’s better to find alternative body positions while you recover.

Avoid Direct Contact with Water

While good hygiene is critical after cataract surgery, water directly contacting your eyes can increase irritation and put you at risk of infection. Exercise caution when showering, ensuring water streams don’t hit your eyes. Additionally, avoid swimming and hot tubs.

Embrace General Health Best Practices

Many best practices for maintaining your health are also critical to a successful recovery from cataract surgery. Maintain a healthy diet, as nutritious foods and drinks ensure your body has the nutrients it needs. Make sure to stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water.

While you heal, you also want to avoid alcohol, as it can lead to dehydration and makes postoperative infections more likely. Similarly, don’t smoke, as smoking increases inflammation, heightens your risk of infection, damages blood vessels, and impairs oxygen delivery to your healing tissues.

At ECVA, the safety and health of our patients’ eyes are our priority. If you’re experiencing cataract symptoms, are considering cataract surgery, or simply haven’t had an eye exam in the past year, the ECVA team is here to help. Schedule an appointment at your closest ECVA clinic today.

Posted on

Does Health Insurance Cover Cataract Surgery?

Whether you recently learned that you have cataracts and want to prepare or are getting ready for cataract surgery, understanding your out-of-pocket costs is essential. The most common question for those with insurance is whether their policy covers cataract surgery. If you’d like to learn more about whether health insurance handles any of the costs of cataract surgery, here’s what you need to know.  

Does Private Health Insurance Cover Cataract Surgery?  

Generally, major private health insurance policies do cover cataract surgery. However, how much of the related expenses they’ll cover can vary as each insurer sets its own limits, percentages, and rates.  

Additionally, private health insurance usually covers traditional monofocal lens implants. If you’re considering premium cataract lenses, such as multifocal intraocular lenses (IOLs) or Toric IOLs, your health insurance provider may not cover the upgraded lenses.  

Does Medicare Cover Cataract Surgery?  

As with major private health insurance policies, Medicare does cover cataract surgery for qualifying individuals. Generally, the same limitations also apply, like the coverage being limited to traditional monofocal lens implants.  

What Kind of Cataract Surgery Is Covered by Insurance?  

As mentioned above, most insurance companies cover cataract surgery using traditional monofocal lens implants. This includes the cost of the lenses themselves, as well as any facility or physician services related to the surgery, suggesting that the providers are part of the insurer’s network or are eligible for coverage as an out-of-network provider.  

If you opt for premium IOLs, the policies won’t typically cover the cost of those lenses. However, the coverage may handle the physician or facility costs based on the policy’s percentage, though that can vary from one provider to the next.  

Are There Out-of-Pocket Expenses with Cataract Surgery?  

Out-of-pocket expenses are common for cataract surgery. Most policies only cover a percentage of the associated costs. For example, Medicare Original covers 80 percent of the related expenses, so the patient is responsible for the remaining 20 percent if they don’t have supplemental insurance to handle the rest.  

If a patient opts for premium IOLs over traditional monofocal lens implants, they’re typically responsible for the full cost of the premium IOLs. At times, the insurance may not handle other related expenses since it involves another lens type, though this isn’t always the case.  

How to Cover Out-of-Pocket Expenses  

If you need cataract surgery, you have several options for handling any out-of-pocket expenses. While the most straightforward is paying cash, that isn’t the only viable approach. Supplemental insurance may address the out-of-pocket costs. You can also tap flexible or health savings accounts. Finally, there are financing options through companies like Care Credit, which can work well if you don’t have another source of funds available.  

The Best Cataract Surgeons In WNY

At ECVA, the safety and health of our patients’ eyes are our priority. If you’re considering cataract surgery and would like to work with an eye care provider to see if it’s right for you or simply haven’t seen your eye care provider in the past year, the ECVA team is here to help. Schedule an appointment at your closest ECVA clinic today.  

Posted on

Can You Prevent Cataracts from Getting Worse?

Cataracts can have a dramatic impact on your vision, causing cloudiness that harms visual acuity and alters the visual field. Typically, cataracts are a normal part of the aging process. Additionally, they’re reasonably easy to treat should the need arise.  

However, those with cataracts may want to do their part to slow the progression of the condition. While there isn’t a natural cure for cataracts, certain lifestyle practices may make a difference. Here are some approaches that are worth trying.  

Watch Blood Sugar  

Cataracts are more common in individuals with diabetes. Mainly, it’s because high blood pressure can lead to certain eye changes, such as swelling of the lens. By keeping blood sugar under control, those eye changes don’t occur, potentially lowering your risk of developing cataracts.  

In most cases, you should follow your doctor’s recommendations regarding blood sugar management. Along with dietary changes, certain prescription medications may be necessary to maintain blood sugar levels. By adhering to the treatment plan, you’ll have a far easier time keeping everything under control.  

Quit Smoking  

Smoking is associated with a range of health conditions, including a higher occurrence of cataracts. By quitting, you could reduce your risk of developing cataracts early or may be able to slow the overall progression.  

Those who want to quit have a variety of options available. You can speak with your physician about smoking-cessation medications, join smoking-cessation programs, or use over-the-counter products to make the transition easier to manage.  

Avoid Excessive Alcohol Consumption  

Like smoking, excessive alcohol consumption is tied to a range of health conditions. Generally speaking, consuming more than two alcoholic beverages daily increases a person’s risk of cataracts. Since that’s the case, limiting your consumption can potentially make a difference.  

It’s critical to point out that serving sizes of alcohol are far smaller than most people expect. “Standard” drinks are based on alcohol levels, not beverage volumes. Based on average alcohol percentages, a serving includes 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine, or 1.5 ounces of distilled spirits. However, drinks with higher-than-average alcohol contents may actually count for two or more servings, so keep that in mind.  

Eat Nutritious Foods  

A diet rich in nutrients like vitamins C and E helps support good eye health. By ensuring your diet is balanced and chocked full of critical vitamins and minerals, you may reduce your odds of developing cataracts.  

Wear UV-Blocking Sunglasses  

UV rays can damage the eyes, even if the sun isn’t shining brightly. By wearing UV-blocking sunglasses, you prevent those harmful rays from reaching your eyes, ensuring they don’t cause damage or accelerate the development of certain eye conditions. Just make sure they’re rated for UV-A and UV-B rays, as broad-spectrum protection is a far better approach.  

At ECVA, the safety and health of our patient’s eyes are our priority. If you are experiencing symptoms of cataracts or progressing cataracts, or simply haven’t seen your eye care provider in the past year, the ECVA team is here to help. Schedule an appointment at your closest ECVA clinic today.  

Posted on

Understanding Cataract Progression

Cataracts are an incredibly common eye condition, particularly as people get older. Often, the disease progresses slowly, giving those with cataracts time to determine which course of action is best for their needs. However, there are times when cataracts can advance quickly, particularly if they’re related to an injury, illness, certain genetic conditions, environmental factors, or if they begin forming early.  

However, even if symptoms aren’t worsening quickly, that doesn’t mean treatment isn’t a necessity. If left unaddressed, cataracts can cause severe vision issues and even blindness.  

By understanding how cataracts progress, you can ensure that you receive treatment properly. Here’s an overview of the early- and late-stage symptoms, as well as guidance on when to seek treatment.  

Early-Stage Cataract Symptoms  

During the early stage of the condition, cataracts themselves tend to be small, limiting their impact on vision. Some of the more common symptoms of this stage include:  

  • Blurriness  
  • Cloudy vision  
  • Color perception changes, including dulling or the appearance that everything is covered in a yellow tint  
  • Double vision  
  • Halos  
  • Reduced night vision  
  • Light sensitivity  
  • Contrast reductions  

Needing to update your glasses or contacts prescription more frequently could also be a sign of cataracts. The same goes for requiring increasingly strong reading glasses.  

Late-Stage Cataract Symptoms  

As cataracts progress, their impact on vision is more significant. Additionally, they can cause the eye itself to turn milky white.  

Here is an overview of late-stage cataract symptoms:  

  • Milky white spot on the lens  
  • Reading difficulties  
  • Significantly decreased visual acuity  
  • Clouding over the entire lens  

When cataracts progress, the alterations to your visual capabilities have a greater impact on your daily life. You may lack the ability to see well enough to accomplish specific tasks, reducing your overall quality of life.  

When to Seek Treatment  

Generally speaking, cataracts become more challenging to treat as the condition progresses. While immediate intervention during the earliest stages may not be necessary, monitoring the cataracts’ progress is essential. That way, they can be appropriately treated once they advance to a critical point or begin having a notable impact on your quality of life.  

Delaying cataract treatment does come with risks. It can lead to significant vision loss and may cause blindness. Alterations to the lens create an increasingly dramatic colorcast over your visual field, making everything seem increasingly yellow or brown.  

Ideally, you want to work closely with your eye care provider. By keeping regular appointments, any signs of cataracts can be caught early. Then, they can track the condition’s progression, ensuring treatment can occur at the proper time. That way, the odds of permanent damage are substantially reduced, allowing you to maintain your vision long-term.  

At ECVA, the safety and health of our patient’s eyes are our priority. If you have signs or symptoms of cataracts, want to learn more about the severity of your condition, are exploring treatment options, or simply haven’t seen your eye care provider in the past year, we are here to help. Schedule an appointment at your closest ECVA clinic today.  

Posted on

How Long Does It Take to Recover from Cataract Surgery?

When you’re preparing for cataract surgery, you may have questions about your recovery. While knowing that your vision quality will improve is part of that equation, it’s normal to wonder how long recovery takes and what to expect along the way. Additionally, you might want to know if there are signs that you should speak with your eye care provider after the procedure.  

If you want to make sure that you’re ready for your procedure, here’s a look at how long it takes to recover from cataract surgery and what may occur as you heal.  

How Long It Takes to Recover from Cataract Surgery  

In most cases, it takes around eight weeks to fully recover from cataract surgery, though the exact amount of time can vary. Additionally, the process occurs over time. As a result, you’ll notice changes as you progress toward full recovery.  

Usually, patients experience some blurriness after the procedure. As the eye starts to heal, vision begins clearing. Often, you can see initial improvements within the first few days after the surgery. As the days pass, you’ll continue to experience positive changes until your eyes are entirely healed.  

What to Expect as You Recover from Cataract Surgery  

Initially, after cataract surgery, blurry vision is common. Additionally, some itching or mild discomfort is normal for a few days after the procedure.

If you want to make sure that your recovery goes smoothly, follow all of your eye care provider’s instructions. That way, you are increasing your odds of healing quickly and correctly.  

When to Contact Your Eye Care Provider After Cataract Surgery  

As you recover from cataract surgery, you’ll usually see your eye care provider at specific intervals. Your first follow-up appointment is typically a day or two after the procedure. Then, there’s another appointment the next week and a third about a month after the surgery.  

Those appointments allow your eye care provider to track the healing process. That way, they can make sure everything is on track as well as provide guidance as necessary, such as updates to your post-procedure care plan.  

However, that doesn’t mean you can’t contact your eye care provider between those appointments. If you’re experiencing pain, swelling, redness, light flashes, or an increase in floaters, reach out to your eye doctor right away. Additionally, if you are experiencing any vision loss, see your eye care provider immediately. Those could all be signs of an issue that may need addressing, so it’s best to get help as quickly as possible.  

Work with Buffalo’s Top Ophthalmologists for Cataract Surgery

At ECVA, the safety and health of your eyes are our priority. If you are looking for ophthalmologists in Buffalo, NY with experience performing cataract surgery, ECVA is here to help. Consult the eye care specialists at any of our four locations to learn more about recovering from cataract surgery in Western New York: Orchard Park, Niagara Falls, Buffalo, and Williamsville. Schedule an appointment at your closest ECVA clinic today.

Family looking at eyeglasses
Posted on

The Different Types of Cataracts

Cataracts are a buildup of material in the eye that leads to lens clouding, altering a person’s vision. However, not all cataracts are the same. In fact, there are multiple kinds of cataracts, each with a unique cause, appearance, and impact. If you’d like to know more, here is a quick overview of the different types of cataracts. 

Nuclear Cataracts 

Nuclear cataracts – also called nuclear sclerotic cataracts – are the most common type. They occur as the central part of the lens – known as the nucleus – begins to yellow and harden. Usually, these cataracts result in close-up vision changes and trouble seeing in low light. 

Cortical Cataracts 

With cortical cataracts, cataracts form in the cortex, the outer layer of the lens. As they develop, they grow inward, causing symptoms like halos, glare, blurriness, and depth perception issues. Additionally, they can affect near and distance vision, depending on how they progress. 

Posterior Subcapsular Cataracts 

Posterior subcapsular cataracts form along the back of the lens. Halos and glare are common side effects. They can also cause a person’s vision to look smudged. 

Compared to some other kinds of cataracts, posterior subscapular cataracts tend to form quickly. IN some cases, symptoms emerge within mere months of them beginning to form. 

Congenital Cataracts 

While cataracts are usually associated with aging, congenital cataracts are present at birth. Often, the cause of these cataracts is unknown. However, certain health conditions – including genetic issues, metabolic disorders, or inflammation – as well as infections, trauma, and specific medication reactions can be responsible. 

Radiation Cataracts 

In some cases, radiation exposure can cause cataracts. Along with radiation treatments for cancer, significant UV exposure may also lead to the condition. As a result, it can be relatively common in individuals who spend a substantial amount of time outdoors, particularly if they don’t consistently use reliable UV-blocking eye protection. 

Typically, radiation damage to cells on the posterior surface of the lens causes these types of cataracts, resulting in cloudy vision. After a high dose of radiation, symptoms can appear within just a couple of years. With lower doses, it tends to develop more slowly. 

Traumatic Cataracts 

At times, eye injuries can result in cataracts. Both blunt and sharp trauma may lead to the condition regardless of the person’s age. Additionally, they can affect a person’s vision in different ways depending on the nature of the trauma. For example, the point of impact or type of force may play a role in the cataract formation, making each presentation potentially unique. 

Choose a Board-Certified Ophthalmologist for Cataract Treatment

Ultimately, the world of cataracts is far more complex and varied than most people expect. That’s why seeing your eye doctor regularly is so vital. It allows your doctor to examine your eye for signs of the condition and intervene early if they find evidence of cataracts. 

Depending on the severity of the condition, cataract surgery might be necessary. While that might sound intimidating, cataract surgery is a common procedure. Additionally, ECVA has Board-Certified Ophthalmologists that are specifically trained and highly skilled in cataract surgery, offering a top-tier experience to patients when cataract surgical intervention is necessary. 

At ECVA, the safety and health of our patients’ eyes is our priority. If you are experiencing vision changes that could be related to cataracts or simply haven’t had an eye exam recently, we are here to help. Schedule an appointment at your closest ECVA clinic today. 

Posted on

What Are The Signs of Cataracts?

Most people are aware of cataracts, largely because it’s an incredibly common condition. Over 24 million adults over the age of 39 have cataracts. By age 75, about half of all Americans end up with the condition.  

Cataracts are not considered a life-threatening condition. However, that doesn’t mean they aren’t a hazard. After all, they rob you of your vision, and that can be dangerous.  

By understanding the signs of cataracts, you can remain vigilant about your eye health. If you aren’t sure about the symptoms of cataracts, here is what you need to know.  

Common Signs and Symptoms of Cataracts  

Cataracts are a prevalent condition, often appearing as people age. They happen when tissues within the eye change, particularly as fibers and proteins in the lens start to break down. As the breaking down of materials begins to clump, they effectively cloud the lens, resulting in a range of vision-related changes.  

As with most medical conditions, a person with cataracts may have no symptoms, one symptom, or multiple symptoms. At times, the prevalence of the symptoms is associated with how advanced the condition is, though it may also depend on where cataracts form within the eye.  

Here are some of the most common signs of cataracts 

  • Clouded vision  
  • Light sensitivity  
  • Blurred vision  
  • Dim vision  
  • “Halos” around lights  
  • Fading colors  
  • Yellowing of colors  
  • Double vision in one eye  
  • Trouble with night driving  
  • Needing brighter light to read  
  • Sudden nearsightedness  
  • Frequent prescription changes for glasses  
  • Poor night vision  

In some cases, people with cataracts may also experience physical discomfort. However, the pain isn’t a symptom of cataracts themselves. Instead, it’s usually related to light sensitivity or struggling to overcome vision issues, such as frequent squinting leading to headaches or eye strain.  

The Progression of Cataract Symptoms  

In most cases, cataracts develop pretty slowly. During the early stages, your eyesight may not be notably impacted. Instead, you may simply get a glimpse of cloudiness here and there, if you experience anything at all.  

As the cataract grows, symptoms are usually more pronounced. There may be increasing amounts of cloudiness or light distortion, causing more pronounced vision issues. The more time that passes, the more noticeable symptoms become, potentially reaching a point where vision is dramatically impaired.  

When to See a Doctor About Cataract Signs  

Generally speaking, any change in your vision should be assessed by your eye doctor immediately. Some cataract symptoms are also associated with other eye conditions, including some that can cause significant and permanent damage to your vision. As a result, it’s best to consult with your eye doctor promptly. That way, they can determine the cause of your vision changes and decide which course of action – if any – is necessary.  

If the situation isn’t severe, your symptoms may be addressable with glasses or lighting changes. However, if they progress, cataract surgery might become necessary.  

Schedule Your Eye Exam For Cataract Screening 

At ECVA, we take the safety and health of our patients’ eyes seriously. If you have any signs or symptoms of cataracts, we are here to help. Schedule an appointment at your closest ECVA clinic today.