How Long Can Cataract Surgery Be Postponed?

Many people are hesitant to get cataract surgery because they fear being unable to perform their daily routine for some days. It is natural to get worried, but rest assured- you will not be disabled in doing your daily chores even for a day after the surgery. You can go about your daily routine within 24 hours of the surgery. Cataract surgery is the most common and safest performed procedure worldwide. During the procedure, the cloudy natural lens in your eye is replaced with a new artificial lens. 

My cataract is 5% in both eyes, and I am not having a problem with my vision. Can I wait for some time? You may wonder if you can wait for cataract surgery, but you are scared that if you do not, you may end up with vision problems. The following article will help you decide whether to wait or not! 

Can You Wait Too Long Before Having Cataract Surgery?

A cataract is usually an age-related eye condition caused by a breakdown of proteins in your eye’s lens, leading to impaired vision or loss of sight. If your cataract is left untreated for a long time, it becomes hyper-mature. When this happens, it becomes more difficult for your surgeon to remove it surgically and more likely to cause complications during surgery. 

You might feel frustrated by visual impairment long before it reaches the hyper-mature stage as the symptoms like blurry vision, difficulty in night driving, glaring effect when going out in the sun, etc., will be causing major discomfort. Studies have proven that delaying your cataract surgery for 6 months can lead to visual problems, increased risk of falls, and a decreased quality of life. 

Is It Better To Have Cataract Surgery Early?

If you worry about when is the right time to undergo cataract surgery, this depends on the health of your eye and the nature of your cataracts. It also depends on your personal choices; in the early stages of cataracts, your vision may not be affected to the point where surgery is needed. Even some ophthalmologists recommend waiting until your cataract matures before undergoing cataract-removal surgery. 

However, it is necessary to follow- up regularly with your ophthalmologist to check your cataract progression after it has been discovered. Some cataracts can cause glaucoma (an eye condition that damages the optic nerve), and some can make it difficult for your ophthalmologist to check the retina’s health (a light-sensitive area behind your eye that receives images). 

Whether or not to have your cataract removed should be your and your ophthalmologist’s joint decision. 

What Factors Decide When To Have Cataract Surgery?

Rapid diminution of your vision can be caused due to other diseases as well. But if you do not have any other diseases like diabetes or glaucoma, then your cataract progresses very slowly with a slow degradation of the vision. Cataract surgery is an elective procedure, indicating that you choose when you want to get operated on.

Some factors will decide when you should get your cataracts removed:

1. Role of vision in your profession or daily routine
2. Any existing medical conditions in your eye like astigmatism, diabetic retinopathy, etc.
3. Any systemic diseases like diabetes or high blood pressure you might have 
4. Your age at the time of diagnosis of the presence of cataract
5. Type of cataract you have

Following is a detailed discussion of the points mentioned above:

1. Role of Vision in your profession or daily routine

How early you need cataract surgery depends on your profession and how vision is important in your daily routine. Suppose your work needs a lot of precision and near work; you should get operated on as soon as possible before a cataract hinders your vision. 

Largely, if poor vision due to cataract causes interference with your daily routine, you should prefer getting an operation soon. But if you can manage your daily life with poor vision to some extent, there may be no harm in waiting for surgery. 

2. Role of any existing medical condition in your eyes

If you have any infection in your eye/eyelids, glaucoma, or diabetic retinopathy, your ophthalmologist will treat these conditions first and then proceed with cataract surgery. If you have undetected eye conditions and undergo cataract surgery, the chances of post-operative complications increase. 

Any kind of infection in the eye after the surgery can have serious consequences. Therefore, it is advised to treat any infection and inflammation before the surgery. 

3. Role of other medical illnesses

To undergo cataract surgery, you must be fit. Your blood pressure and sugar levels are important factors for fitness. If your blood pressure and sugar levels are elevated, you will need to delay your surgery until they are in control. 

Diabetes and high blood pressure (hypertension) are important factors to consider before cataract surgery. Uncontrolled diabetes can cause fluid or electrolyte imbalance and delayed healing leading to loss of vision. Suppose the blood pressure remains high during surgery. In that case, there is a risk of post-operative blood pressure increase, which may lead to rhythm disturbances (cardiac arrhythmias) or decreased blood supply to the heart muscles (myocardial ischemia).

4. Your age when the cataract developed

If an infant has been diagnosed with cataracts, the eye should be operated on as soon as possible as if the surgery is not soon enough, the child might have permanent blindness. This condition is known as amblyopia (lazy eye). In this condition, in childhood, one eye does not develop properly as the second eye (the brain does not recognize the signals for one eye).

When cataracts develop in older children, they might not need immediate surgery as there is no immediate risk of vision loss.

5. Type of Cataract you have

Various types of cataracts are seen depending on their cause and clinical representation. They are also classified based on where and how they develop in your eyes.

• Nuclear cataracts are formed in the lens’s middle and cause the eye’s center to become brown or yellow.
• Cortical cataracts are formed around the edges of the nucleus and are wedge-shaped.
• Posterior capsular cataract affects the back of the lens and forms faster than other cataracts.
• Congenital cataracts are present at birth or form during the first year after a baby is born. This type is uncommon.
• Secondary cataracts are caused by medication or diseases like glaucoma or diabetes.
• Traumatic cataracts develop due to injury to the eye; however, they can take several years to develop.
• Radiation cataracts form after an individual undergoes radiation treatment for cancer.

On the visit to your ophthalmologist, you can enquire about your type of cataract, ansd your surgeon will advise whether you can delay the surgery.

Can I Postpone my Cataract Surgery?

The American Academy of Ophthalmology offers four (4) important questions you can ask yourself or your ophthalmologist to decide how long you can postpone the surgery.

1. Is your cataract interfering with your profession and daily routine?
2. Is your night driving being affected?
3. Are your outdoor activities affected by cataracts?
4. Can your cataract be managed in other ways?

Answers to these questions give you a fair idea of your cataract and help you decide whether you are ready for surgery. Cataract surgery is recommended when the post-op results are expected to better your vision from what it was before the surgery. 

Takeaway

If you are wondering how long you can postpone your cataract surgery because your cataracts are bothering you, we encourage you to call our trusted ophthalmologists at Medfin to discuss the pros and cons of delaying your cataract surgery.