A cataract is where the normally clear lens inside the eye becomes cloudy. This is a normal process that occurs with age. Certain medications such as steroids, smoking, and high levels of sun exposure can cause cataracts to develop at an earlier age. Early symptoms of cataracts often include blurred vision with glare and halos when driving at night and needing brighter and brighter light to see to read with. When vision is significantly impacted surgical correction is usually covered by medical insurance.
At the time of surgery, the cloudy cataractous lens is removed and replaced with a clear artificial lens implant. In addition to basic lens implant surgery which is covered entirely by most insurance plans, we offer a full range of individualized lens implant options to fit our patient’s lifestyle and activities. Two of our more popular options are our Custom Matched Distance and our Custom Matched Blended Vision surgery. Our Custom Matched Distance vision option is selected by patients who want the crispest far away distance vision that we can provide and don’t mind using reading glasses for small print up close. With this option, we measure the corneal asphericity and we match that to the appropriate lens implant to neutralize asphericity getting it as close to zero as possible. This gives patients the sharpest and most consistent vision going from day to night and minimizes glare and halos. We also measure and treat lower levels of astigmatism. Reading glasses will be needed for most activities up close.
The second option is Custom Matched Blended Vision (Blended Vision). Blended Vision is the most common lens implant chosen by patients who would like to do more without their reading glasses. With this option, we usually focus the non-dominant eye for arm’s-length vision and then fine-tune the dominant eye for good faraway distance vision. Our goal is to get patients where they can do 80 to 90% of their daily activities without glasses. However, glasses will still be needed for some activities particularly driving at night and reading small print. With Blended Vision surgery, we do defocus testing to be sure patients tolerate having one eye focused up close. We measure and match corneal asphericity to neutralize it and treat lower levels of astigmatism. We also offer toric (astigmatism correcting), Symphony (extended depth of focus), PanOptix (trifocal), and multifocal lens implants. Laser-assisted cataract surgery is available in addition to our manual surgery.
Your choice of a cataract surgeon is one of the most important decisions you will ever make. You will look out of your new lens implant every minute you are awake for the rest of your life. The surgeons at Eye Specialists of Mid-Florida are acutely aware of the importance of this decision. We are meticulous in measuring and performing surgery to get you the very best outcome that we can with the lowest possible risk. We treat every patient the way we would want to be treated and the way we would want one of our family members to be treated. We are cost-conscious and try to offer affordable solutions that fit the patient’s lifestyle needs.
We meticulously measure and track our surgical outcomes; our recent data sets have shown that over 90% of our patients are within half a diopter of our intended target and over 90% of our patients have an uncorrected vision of 20/30 or better. These outcomes put Eye Specialists of Mid-Florida within the top 95% of surgeons in the world. Our Winter Haven and Sebring surgery centers are Medicare approved and are less than a 2-hour drive from anywhere in Central Florida. We offer same-day cataract evaluation and surgery to fit your schedule. Our dedicated physicians and staff would be honored to care and serve you. Helping to restore, enhance, and preserve your sight is our mission and purpose.
Our offices and surgery centers are open. We are taking all necessary precautions to keep you and your family safe during your visits. We also offer virtual consultations using our telehealth services for those patients who prefer to stay at home. Please give us a call to schedule a cataract surgery evaluation or for any of our other services at 800-282-3937, or visit our website at www.EYESFL.com
Bio: Dr. Damon Welch is a board-certified Ophthalmologist that specializes in Cataract, Laser, and Eyelid Surgery at Eye Specialists of Mid-Florida.
