Results of Cataract Surgery

After your eyes have healed and your brain and muscles have adjusted to the implanted lenses, your world will be brighter and clearer. You'll be able to focus better. Objects won't appear distorted- ghosting and double vision, though possibly not eliminated completely, will no longer be a problem. Colors will appear richer and more distinct. Contrast will be sharper.

You'll see well enough to work, to move around independently, and to enjoy the activities that you might have put on hold. You'll be less dependent on eyeglasses-you might not need them at all. Ideally, you'll be able to read the newspaper in good light. You probably won't be able to read the tiny print on products such as sweetener packets without a magnifying glass, but that's okay. Cataract surgery isn't a fountain of youth, but it does improve your vision. Being in your sixties, seventies, eighties, or nineties, and having the vision of a forty-year-old, is an amazing thing in itself.

As mentioned, your vision will fluctuate for a few weeks or longer, depending on the type of lens implanted. Even so, within twenty-four hours your eyesight will be markedly improved-so much so that you'll probably be eager to schedule surgery for the other eye at your follow-up visit to your doctor.

Cataract surgery is a low-risk procedure, and complications are rare. Still, you should be aware of possible side effects and potential problems, which are discussed in the next chapter.