The prospect of having a surgical procedure done can be intimidating for some—we get it. But when it comes to cataracts, the prospects are scary if you don’t! At best, cataracts cloud your vision and make day-to-day life difficult. Left untreated, they can cause blindness.
Cataracts don’t stop forming, they don’t reverse, and they can’t be cured through medications, diet or therapy. The only reliably effective solution is cataract-removal surgery. If you’ve developed cataracts, and your doctor has told you you’re an ideal candidate for cataract surgery, there are several great reasons to have them removed now:
- You reduce your overall surgical risk and improve your ability to heal if you’re younger. Even though cataract removal is quite safe – it is still surgery. While the recovery period is generally short as optimal vision improvement is achieved, this process typically works better the younger you are when you have surgery.
- Your insurance company will often cover basic cataract removal surgery. There’s no good reason to live with cataracts any longer than necessary. Plus, as the American population ages, it’s impossible to predict how insurance coverage could change when it comes to common procedures like cataract surgery. It’s best not to wait and find out.
Insurance normally covers basic, manual cataract surgery. Patients also have options to invest in vision-correcting multifocal cataract surgery, which can reduce or eliminate the need for corrective lenses for many daily activities.
- It could save you money in the long run. This is especially true if you choose to have your vision corrected at the same time as your cataract surgery. And the sooner you have cataracts removed, the more long-term savings you can see.
Many who wear prescription eyeglasses report paying as much as $1,000 for top-of-the-line frames and lenses, which they update or replace annually. Even basic prescription eyewear can cost $250 or more a year, and contact lenses get even more expensive.
What this all means is that a 59-year-old who delays cataract surgery (in combination with a multifocal IOL that we mentioned in the previous section) could rack up to $20,000 in glasses and contacts expenditures over the next 20 years. That’s not even counting inflation! By comparison, cataract surgery with multifocal IOLs is often a fraction of this amount. Many patients report surgery quickly pays for itself, and the added freedom that comes with crisp, clear vision is often described as “priceless.”
- You can use your FSA/HSA. Many health spending accounts go away when you retire. If you discover cataracts while still in the workforce, you can take advantage of your employer’s flex account benefits to cover your copay or to offset part of a procedure. Currently, you can set aside up to $2,750 in pre-tax earnings each year.
- Your cataracts will be gone for good. Many patients mistakenly believe their cataracts will “grow back” as they age if they have them removed too early. Nothing could be further from the truth! Once they’re gone, they’re gone—and you can enjoy sharper vision for the remainder of your life.
Improved eyesight through cataract-removal surgery not only prevents blindness for millions of people worldwide each year, it also vastly improves the quality of life. Why wait?
Are cataracts clouding your vision? Matossian Eye Associates would love to help. Schedule an appointment with an eye doctor at your convenience by calling us at (800) 708-8800 or through our website at MatossianEye.com
