What does a cataract feel like?
Patients who have recently had their cataract surgery with us, always share some incredible aspects of what changed in their lives after their surgeries, what they can see better now, how the colors are brighter and everything is “crisper.”
Not so often is it that we find articles in the New York Times where an author so wonderfully shares how having a cataract really changed his life.
This really insightful article was written by Richard Liebmann-Smith. He shares that his cataracts did more than just fog or cloud his vision. He also lost depth perception which led him to pour wine for his wife onto the tablecloth! He also shares that he suffered from brief moments of double vision. If this all of a sudden starts happening to you, it is common to think what Mr. Liebmann-Smith thought – this is neurological…maybe even a stroke?
Really scary stuff. Lucky for him however, it was not neurological, it was simply his cataracts worsening. He found that while driving at night, the headlights from cars were bright and disorienting, and he comparing their streaks to “close encounters” with UFO’s. When looking out his window at the cityscape, instead of seeing windows in far away buildings, he saw halos, mini-moons and bright points of lights out his window like beads on a sparkly necklace. These are things WE hear every day.
However, many of you don’t know what a cataract feels like, until it happens to you!
Mr. Liebmann-Smith goes on to explain how amazing modern cataract removal is. He shares that it is a delicate procedure, not the scary eyeball cutting ideas he first thought of when told he needed surgery.
In his words: “In fact, cataract surgery is among the most commonly performed operations in the country. The procedure for each eye took less than an hour, during which I remained awake but comfortably sedated. I was aware of lights, sounds and occasional gentle pressure, but it was all virtually painless. And the results have been remarkable.”
The best part of the article to us was how he felt after. He describes his vision as “alarmingly clear, crisp and bright.” He could read medicine bottle print, he could read his menus in restaurants where the lights were dim and he could read books well including the footnotes! He also noticed distant road signs, facial expressions on people who were far away, and subtitles during movies!
If you can sympathize with one or more of these symptoms in this article, please call us to schedule an exam and make a plan to get on your way to good vision again! Call us at 305-598-2020.
To learn more about modern laser cataract surgery in Miami at our office, click here.
For the full story, please visit the original article.