Are my Cataracts Ripe?

This is one of the most commonly asked questions we hear about cataract surgery.  This was a valid question many years ago, when cataract surgery was a more risky and invasive procedure.  Doctors in the past were right to encourage their patients to wait until their cataracts were quite large, or “ripe.” Today, though, we don’t follow the standard definition of “ripe.”

In recent years, cataract surgery has become one of the most common and refined procedures performed.  The recovery and healing period is shorter than our predecessors ever imagined, and new technologies have made it a very safe procedure.   The surgery isn’t entirely without risk, however, so we do make sure that patients meet the following criteria before we offer the option of cataract surgery:

1.  The symptoms from your cataracts are affecting your lifestyle.
If you are having noticeable blurred vision, glare, or other visual symptoms that limit your daily activities, then you may be ready to consider surgery.  For example, you like to sew but can no longer see to thread a needle; you work at night, but glare from headlights bothers you; or you enjoy painting and are having trouble distinguishing between black and navy blue paints.

2.  Your cataracts are large enough to remove.
Only your eye doctor will be able to tell you if your cataracts are large enough to remove.  This usually happens when they have become moderate in their severity, but not always. Cataracts no longer need to be very dense, or “ripe,” in order to have cataract surgery.

For patients with more complicated eye diseases or medical conditions, we may advise against surgery.  Please feel free to call if you have any other questions about the surgery.