How Long Does Cataract Surgery Take?

Are you a candidate for cataract surgery? How long does the surgery take? Will you need glasses after surgery? The cataract specialists at Elmquist Eye Group can answer all of your questions.

Since 1992, residents of Southwest Florida have been coming to 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 may affect people of all ages.

Yasaira Rodriguez, MD is an experienced eye surgeon specializing in refractive cataract surgery, eyelid surgery and in-office procedures.

Are You a Candidate for Cataract Surgery?

Cataracts are the most common cause of blurred vision in people over the age of 50. Although no medication or special diets can cure them, cataracts can be surgically removed by your ophthalmologist and replaced with a permanent artificial lens implant, called an intraocular lens or IOL, to restore your lost vision.

Elmquist Eye Group is among a limited number of practices to offer bladeless laser-assisted cataract surgery with the FDA-approved LenSx® femtosecond laser. The laser automates three steps of the surgery that previously had to be done manually and improves the overall precision, safety and accuracy of the surgery.

Most cataract patients are candidates for laser cataract surgery. Your doctor will need to examine your eyes and discuss your options in more detail during your cataract evaluation.

How Long Does the Surgery Take?

Cataract surgery is an outpatient procedure performed with minimal sedation and numbing drops, which means you’ll be awake during the procedure and can go home on the same day.

The entire procedure takes less than 30 minutes, but you can expect to be in recovery for a short amount of time, often 20 to 30 more minutes, and can then go home.

Will You Need Glasses After Surgery?

Whether or not you will need glasses after cataract surgery depends on the type of intraocular lens you have implanted. In some cases, you will still need to wear glasses for reading and close-up work.

Multifocal lens implants correct your vision at distance, intermediate and near. If being less dependent on glasses is of interest to you, this is a lens you should consider. Another good option is the revolutionary premium ReSTOR lens implant, which is designed to allow patients to see clearly at all distances without bifocals or reading glasses.

Elmquist Eye Group offers a full range of lens options, so it is important to meet with our doctors and staff to explore which lens is the best match for your lifestyle.

Contact Elmquist Eye Group today at (239) 936-2020 for more information about cataract surgery, how long it takes, and any other questions you may have.