Cataract Eye Doctor
The surgeons at Elmquist Eye Group have set the standard of cataract care in Fort Myers. If you have cataracts and need a cataract eye doctor, our surgeons will care for your eyes and give you peace of mind.
What are cataracts?
More than half of people over age 60 have cataracts, and nearly everyone will develop them as they get older. That’s because cataracts are a natural part of the aging process of the eye. When you have a cataract, the natural lens of the eye becomes progressively cloudy due to protein deposits. These proteins interfere with the normal passage of light through the eye; many patients say their vision appears as if they are looking through a waterfall.
Early on, you may not notice any vision changes, but cataracts do become progressively worse. When your vision becomes very blurry or you have too much sensitivity to light that it interferes with normal functions like driving or reading, it is time to seek cataract treatment.
Surgery is the only remedy for a cataract, and therefore choosing a cataract eye doctor is a very important decision.
How should I start?
A cataract eye doctor must be an ophthalmologist, which is a medical doctor who is specially trained to perform eye surgeries. Ophthalmologists have an extensive medical education, including college, medical school and specialty internships and residency in a hospital setting.
How do I choose the doctor I need?
Your regular eye doctor may be an ophthalmologist and therefore he or she can do the surgery. Depending on your specific surgical needs, your regular eye doctor may refer you to another surgeon to perform the surgery. Many eye doctors in the Fort Myers area recommend their patients to Elmquist Eye Group as a result of our trusted reputation.
Some of your family and friends have also likely had cataract surgery, so ask whether their surgeries were successful and what their post-surgery experience was like. Online resources like the American Academy of Ophthalmology website are very useful too. This site has lots of information and a useful Find an Ophthalmologist tool.
What should I ask the surgeon?
Make an initial appointment with your surgeon of choice. Ask questions to get information. Ask about the surgeon’s experience and what type of lens he or she is recommending for you. While most patients get a monofocal lens, these days there are a variety of multifocal and other specialty lenses that can be implanted.
Make sure that the surgeon and office staff are polite and respectful. If you are not comfortable, it’s ok. Find another cataract eye doctor that you feel is better suited. Just because you had an initial consultation, you are certainly under no obligation to have the surgery with that surgeon.
The surgeon should provide you with information about both the benefits and the risks of the surgery, and by all means, no ophthalmologist should ever guarantee you perfect post-surgery vision. Some patients still need eyeglasses after the surgery to correct vision, while others may need a follow-up (enhancement) surgery.
Come Visit Us
You definitely need to do some research to find your cataract eye doctor. Be sure to consider Elmquist Eye Group in your search. Our cataract specialists in Fort Myers are board certified or board-eligible by the American Board of Ophthalmology, offering patients the latest advancements in eye care. It’s easy to schedule an appointment with us. Rest assured, we are confident in the ability of our cataract doctors to provide you with outstanding eye care.