Cataract. When should I do a surgery. Is it urgent? Is it better to do it ealier or later?

Question

Now I can read without glasses (I could not one month ago)
When driving at night should use sun glasses, because headlights of other cars irritate me. When I can be back at work? (Only this eye has a vision)

Answer 1

Lots of issues, and factors to be balanced.
Medically, a cataract does not have to be done to prevent damage or risk to the eye. Equally it is no longer necessary to wait till it is "ripe", (which used to be true, and is a story that still circulates.).

The operation is not risk free, but the risk is about as low as it gets for any surgical procedure. If you only have one useful eye, that would normally be taken as grounds for holding off a little.

But if driving glare is becoming an issue, that may overrule other considerations. Sunglasses MUST NOT be used at night. Yes, they reduce the glare from bright sources, but they could make pedestrians invisible.

If you are shifting towards short-sight, as you describe, this is almost certainly nuclear sclerosis (brown) cataract, which is the most rapidly changing form. Your distance glasses could easily need changing every two to three months to keep you legal driving. That itself can be sufficient reason for surgery for some folk.

During surgery, the aim will normally be to use an implant to replace the cataract lens chosen to give reasonable distance vision without spectacles. (It would be possible to aim for a near-focus, if that were requested, but that's unusual) Ready-made reading glasses would provide reasonable near vison almost instantly in most cases, but it will be at least four weeks before the eye is settled ready for a final distance and near refractive assessment.

All this is, I'm afraid, based on good probabilities, but not promises.


(UK optometrist)

Answer 2

I am unsure by the way your question is written whether you have had cataract surgery on one eye already and if the "one eye without vision" means you can not see anything at all?

Cataracts are generally done when the vision indeed is impaired in the affected eye. It really is not a major surgery and you should be able to return to work in a reasonable amount of time as long as you do not do heavy lifting or strenuous activity.

Either way, if you only have vision in one eye, sounds like you need to see your eye doc to resolve the problem.