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Cataracts are a normal part of aging, but cataract surgery isn’t just for the elderly. A recent study published in the Journal of Cataract & Refractive Surgery found that more middle-aged patients (age 65 and under) are having cataract surgery—and at younger ages. Cataracts are a clouding of the normally clear lens of the eye, and they can begin to develop in your 40s and 50s.
62-year-old Wilma Tucker was one of the many middle-aged patients who assumed she was too young for cataract surgery, despite the challenges with her sight.
“When I was watching TV, the type on my screen, I couldn’t read from where I was sitting on my sofa.”
She knew her vision was changing when she couldn’t spot her friends during a night out.
“I had scanned the restaurant and I was like, ‘Where are they,’” Wilma says. “Finally, one of them walked up to me and said ‘we’re over here.’ I couldn’t find them, even though they were right in front of me.”
Then Wilma’s twin sister, Wendy Smith, had cataract surgery. Wilma went to see her eye doctor and found out she had cataracts as well.
“I thought I would need to wait years for surgery,” Wilma says, “but thought it would be wonderful not to have to wear these thick glasses anymore. Once my sister had surgery, I realized I could get it too.”
Wilma’s optometrist referred her to Rajesh Shetty, M.D., board-certified and fellowship-trained ophthalmologist at Florida Eye Specialists.
“Now we’re doing cataract surgery at a much earlier age because of safety,” says Shetty. “Twenty years ago, the benefit of surgery was comparable to the risk. But thanks to today’s advanced technology, cataract surgery is safer and provides better outcomes than ever, so patients don’t have to live with impaired vision. We don’t have to wait.”
Shetty explains that younger patients of cataract surgery tend to heal more quickly, resume normal activity more rapidly, and enjoy better vision results. That’s beneficial, since vision needs have become more demanding with advances in technology and today’s active adult lifestyle.
“Vision needs have changed a lot,” says Shetty. “We spend much more time looking at phones and other devices, friends and family are communicating with us constantly. We’re traveling more, looking at GPS, driving during dusk, dawn, rain, nighttime. We’re playing golf and reading. The demand for clear vision is at the highest it’s ever been.”
Wilma received a toric multifocal lens, designed for patients with astigmatism.
“It’s just amazing,” Wilma says. “My vision is even better than I expected to have. It’s the best it’s ever been.”
“She was not a good contact lens wearer because of her dry eye and astigmatism,” Shetty recalls. “It was so great to see her without her glasses. Her smile just lit up, she was thrilled. No glasses, but able to see far and near. She’s an active individual, so that’s important.”
“To wake up in the morning and not have to put my glasses on, it’s been life-changing,” Wilma says.
Many patients, like Wilma, have particular vision needs. With the many kinds of intraocular lenses now available, eye surgeons can choose the best fit for each patient.
Today, cataract surgery offers patients the opportunity to not only restore their vision, but to possibly see better than they ever have before. It can reduce dependency on glasses and make daily activities like reading and driving easy again.
“We do what we do because we can improve people’s lives,” says Shetty. “You lose so many faculties and abilities as you age. Skills you didn’t realize you were losing, your energy, how fast you think and run. But here’s one area of your life you can actually improve upon, see better, function better, and do things you haven’t done in years. These are truly phenomenal results.”
With June serving as Cataract Awareness Month, now is a good time to consider having an eye exam to check for cataracts. Eye surgeons recommend that patients ages 60 and older have a comprehensive dilated eye exam at least once every two years. In addition to cataracts, eye care professional can check for signs of age-related macular degeneration, glaucoma, and other vision disorders.
