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Clear Benefits to Cataract Surgery
An Aberdeen woman is amazed by the results of her cataract procedure and offers
encouragement to others who are hesitant to undergo surgical treatment.
As most people do, Sandy Percy
relies on her eyesight. The
former schoolteacher from Aberdeen
depended on her vision during her
30 years in the classroom, and now
that she’s retired, she continues to
depend greatly on her eyes, especially
for her favorite pastime of reading.
But several years ago, Sandy began
to notice a change in her vision. A visit
to a retinologist — an ophthalmologist
who specializes in diagnosing and
treating the retina, vitreous, and
macula (all components of the eye) —
resulted in a diagnosis of cataracts.
Cataracts are caused by a cloudiness
of the eye’s natural lens. A cataract
usually starts very small and is almost
unnoticeable. But it gradually grows
larger, and vision becomes cloudier.
There are several ways to treat
cataracts, and surgery is not necessarily
the first or best remedy. But when
a cataract begins to interfere with one’s ability to function, surgery is
often recommended. Because
Sandy’s vision wasn’t yet
inhibiting her ability to
perform everyday tasks,
she decided to delay surgery
for as long as possible.
Knowing When It’s Time to Act
Sandy’s retinologist
suggested she see
Riverview ophthalmologist
Lawrence Frieman, M.D.,
who prescribed eyeglasses
to improve her vision. After
a couple years, however, she
could no longer put off the
inevitable. "You don’t realize
how much your eyesight
deteriorates over time," says
Sandy. "I’m a very quick reader, but I began to notice
that I was reading slower and slower
because I couldn’t see well. That’s
when I decided I was ready for surgery."
"If we live long enough, we’ll all
eventually develop cataracts. It’s a
process of aging," Dr. Frieman explains.
"But initially, Sandy could see well
enough that surgery wasn’t required.
Whether one requires surgery or
not is really dependent
on the individual."
A "Miraculous" Outcome
Sandy’s cataract surgery was quick
and painless, and she recovered
rapidly. Dr. Frieman describes the
procedure as similar to making a
tiny hole in the skin of a grape, then
aspirating, or vacuuming, some of
the pulp. A small incision was made
in Sandy’s eye, and the cloudy lens
was surgically removed. The back
membrane of the lens was left in
place, and a replacement lens, called
an intraocular lens, was inserted.
"It’s almost like putting a ship in
a bottle," says Dr. Frieman.
Surgery was done on both of
Sandy’s eyes, but one at a time,
ten days apart, with results that
she claims are "miraculous" and
"absolutely amazing." "People who
are hesitant to have cataract surgery
have nothing to worry about," assures
Sandy. "I know this procedure is
routine to Dr. Frieman. He does
dozens every week. But for me,
it’s a small miracle. I have my sight
back. I can even see the veins on
a leaf. It’s remarkable. People
say that I even look different.
It’s because now I can see!"
 – Diane Gribbin
Cataracts are fairly common in older adults. In fact, about
half the population will have a cataract by age 65, and nearly
everyone over 75 will have at least one cataract.
The following are signs of cataract:
- Vision is slightly blurred, like looking through a cloudy piece of glass.
- Light from the sun or a lamp seems too bright or glaring.
- While driving at night, oncoming headlights cause more glare than before.
- Colors may not appear as bright as they once did.
To decrease the chances of developing a cataract, avoid such risk factors
as smoking, air pollution, and heavy alcohol consumption. Individuals with
diabetes are more likely to develop a cataract at an earlier age. The best
advice is to be aware of changes in your vision, avoid risk factors, and
visit an eye expert regularly to have your vision checked.
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