Is your vision becoming cloudy? Are colors appearing more faded than before? If so, you may have a cataract in one or both eyes. Cataracts are not a disease but a natural part of aging. Surgery is the only fix for a cataract. You might have had friends who have had the procedure, but they’ve been talking about standard surgery and refractive surgery. What’s the difference? Let Elmquist Eye Group help answer all your questions about refractive surgery in Fort Myers.

Standard vs. refractive surgery

With standard cataract surgery, the natural lens that is clouded with the cataract protein buildup is replaced with a clear lens implant. With refractive surgery, the lens implant corrects vision. The lens can correct nearsightedness or farsightedness, and we even offer advanced lenses to correct astigmatism. After refractive surgery, you will be much less dependent on eyeglasses or contact lenses. In fact, you may not need them at all.

Refractive surgery is a proven procedure that offers both permanent lens replacement to fix the cataract as well as offering vision correction. Our board-certified and fellowship trained eye surgeons at Elmquist have been providing surgical procedures like this for 25 years to the SW Florida area, including Fort Myers and Cape Coral.

What is the surgery like?

Refractive cataract surgery and standard cataract surgery both involve removal of the natural lens that has been clouded by the cataract. As we age, natural proteins in the eye break down and begin to clump on the lens. By age 60, many patients will have started forming cataracts, and by age 75, the cataract is usually significant enough to blur and impair vision.

What makes refractive cataract surgery different is that we implant a multifocal lens to correct vision. There are many different lens options available, and we will do a thorough cataract and vision assessment to determine your best lens option. The good news is that the implant lenses are designed to last a lifetime, so you shouldn’t have to have another lens replacement surgery.

Benefits of refractive cataract surgery

Refractive cataract surgery is a great choice if you already have vision issues independent of your cataract. You can kill two birds with one stone, so to speak, in the same surgery: repair your cataract and improve your vision, thereby reducing the need for separate contact lenses or eyeglasses.

Every eye is unique, so Elmquist offers a personalized treatment plan tailored to your vision needs as well as your lifestyle. Our expert surgeons will provide you the most advanced lens for your need. Even better, you will see the same surgeon from start to finish, and that provides our patients with peace of mind.

Many patients ponder whether they should have standard or refractive surgery, and whether the refractive vision correction is right for them. If you were nearsighted or farsighted, or had astigmatism, prior to your cataract, the refractive surgery is a good option.

Many patients want to distinguish their cataract symptoms from their vision issues. If you’ve recently noticed cloudy or blurred vision, faded colors, increased sensitivity to glare or trouble driving or seeing properly at night, you likely have a cataract.

For more information, come talk to our Elmquist team about refractive cataract surgery in Fort Myers. Book an appointment today at Elmquist Eye Group and we will evaluate your cataracts and your vision to determine your suitability for the refractive procedure.