How to Choose a Cataract Surgeon

Most people place enormous value on their eyesight, yet millions undergo cataract surgery every year without doing any research on their surgeon. Elmquist Eye Group offers tips about how to choose the best cataract specialist for your care.

Since 1992, patients throughout Southwest Florida have visited Elmquist Eye Group for the highest quality eye care, including cataract evaluations and surgery, glaucoma evaluation and treatment, dry eye evaluation and treatment, and other eye conditions that affect everyone from children to seniors.

Yasaira Rodriguez, MD is a board certified ophthalmologist and a member of the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery. Dr. Rodriguez’s eye surgery expertise includes cataract surgery, LASIK, eyelid surgery and in-office procedures.

Tips for Choosing a Cataract Surgeon

To achieve the very best results from your cataract surgery, you will want to choose a competent, experienced surgeon who is fully certified in his or her field. These tips may help you make an informed decision.

• Ask for recommendations from people you trust. Your primary doctor, internist, optometrist, and colleagues and friends who have had cataract surgery can be excellent sources of information. Their recommendations will be more valuable than reviews and ratings you find on the Internet.
• Make sure your surgeon is licensed to practice in your state. Dr. Yasaira Rodriguez is licensed as a Medical Doctor by the Florida Board of Medicine. You can confirm the information with a visit to the Florida Department of Health’s website.
• Research the surgeon’s credentials. If your cataract surgeon claims to be board certified, take the time to verify it with the Certification Matters website operated by the American Board of Medical Specialties. Dr. Rodriguez is board certified by the American Board of Ophthalmology and a fellow of the American Academy of Ophthalmology.
• Meet the surgeon. Schedule an appointment to talk to the surgeon, and make sure you feel comfortable with how he or she listens to your concerns and answers your questions. Always ask how many cataract surgeries your doctor has performed; the more surgeries the doctor has performed, the better.

About Cataract Surgery

The only way to treat cataracts is with surgery that replaces the clouded lens of the eye with an artificial intraocular lens (IOL).

Cataract surgery is one of the safest surgeries performed in the U.S. today, with a success rate that exceeds 95%.  The traditional procedure is quick, most patients experience little or no discomfort, and clear vision is usually restored within a few days.

Elmquist Eye Group also offers bladeless laser-assisted cataract surgery, a procedure that is designed to make surgery more precise, safer and more accurate by utilizing the same laser technology that is used for all-laser LASIK surgery. It enables Dr. Rodriguez to plan and customize each cataract procedure to the unique characteristics of each patient’s eye.

If you have additional questions about how to choose a cataract surgeon, we encourage you to schedule an appointment and a cataract evaluation with Elmquist Eye Group and discuss your concerns with our experienced team.  Call us today at (239) 936-2020.