Cataract Surgery

Cataract Eye Surgery

And the Future of Your Vision

What is cataract surgery?

If you are one of the millions of people who suffer from cataracts, you are not alone. You are probably wondering what types of cataract surgery are available and what are the best types of lenses for cataract surgery? Cataract surgery is performed as an outpatient procedure. The surgery involves removing the cloudy lens and replacing it with an artificial lens, called an intraocular lens (IOL). The advances in surgical procedures have allowed cataract sufferers to enjoy improved clarity and color once again. Cataract surgery recovery is rapid and patients can typically return to their normal functioning in a few days.

Am I eligible for cataract surgery?

To find out if you are eligible for cataract surgery and to find out how much cataract surgery costs, schedule an appointment with Dr. Parker. During your visit, Dr. Parker will thoroughly examine your visual system and determine the best solutions for you.

Schedule an Appointment Today
The Upstate’s Choice in Cataract Care

Dr. Parker is a leading expert at correcting cataracts, safely and efficiently. Dr. Parker is a Wills Eye Hospital fellowship-trained cornea specialist, LASIK surgeon, and cataract surgeon who is essentially a refractive cataract surgeon. This means she helps each patient choose the type of intraocular implant which will best suit their visual demands post-cataract surgery. Many of her patients wish to be free of glasses after cataract surgery and she carefully examines each patient preoperatively to use the best technology intraocular implant for their particular needs.

Cataract Surgery & Implant Choice

There are two basic intraocular lens (IOL) choices in cataract surgery: monofocal and advanced technology intraocular lenses. The monofocal types typically correct distance vision and the patient would wear reading glasses or a bifocal for their best near vision. Some patients may need astigmatism incorporated into a monofocal lens to get their best uncorrected distance vision after cataract surgery.

The advanced technology intraocular lenses split light into distance, intermediate, and near vision to allow patients to be free of reading glasses after cataract surgery. Astigmatism correction can be incorporated into this type of intraocular lens if necessary. More than 90% of the patients receiving Synergy intraocular lenses wear no glasses after cataract surgery.

Dr. Parker will thoroughly discuss intraocular lens options with you preoperatively to assure the lens fits your unique eyes and lifestyle.

Make an Appointment Today

What Cataract Patients Like You Have to Say…

“

It's great to no longer have to worry about glasses. I can see better than I ever did with glasses.

Neil M.Cataract Patient
“

The best thing I have ever done for myself. The multifocal lens is awesome.

Jo G.Cataract Patient
“

In the last few years I have had one cataract operation and my wife has had cataract operations on both eyes all with excellent results.

Ralph P.Cataract Patient

Have Questions About Cataract Surgery?

Find the answers to the most asked patient questions here. Still have questions? We are here to help! Request an appointment to talk through the procedure.

There are 2 factors to consider: your vision symptoms (i.e. how are activities like driving at night or seeing the small print on television) and the severity of the cataract opacification. Dr. Parker can tell you whether your symptoms are secondary to the cataracts and whether surgery is indicated.

If you choose a monofocus implant (one focus, usually chosen for distance correction), you typically are legal to drive without glasses, but will need reading glasses.

Some patients are wearing monovision contact lenses before surgery and those patients may wish to continue with monovision after cataract surgery, but the implants provide freedom from contact lenses or glasses.

It should be noted that monovision patients do compromise depth perception with this choice. About 40% of our patients upgrade to enhanced depth of focus or multifocal implants and thus have little or no need for glasses for distance or near tasks.

The American Academy of Ophthalmology, the world’s largest organization of eye physicians and surgeons, says on its website: “Studies do not show that laser surgery results in fewer complications. Also, studies haven’t found that laser surgery provides better outcomes.”

Laser assisted cataract surgery may make the procedure more “precise,” but the data does not support improved vision or safety with laser assisted cataract surgery. It also adds about $1,500 per eye that is not covered by medical insurance or Medicare.

Cataract surgery is considered a medical expense like hip replacement by insurance companies and Medicare.

There are three components to the total cost with any surgeon:

  • the professional fee (surgeon’s fee)
  • facility fee (ambulatory surgical center or office-based surgery facility)
  • special cataract implants (IOL’s) that provide a full range of vision or correct astigmatism.

The surgeon’s fee and the facility fee are determined by the relevant insurance company or Medicare, and copays and deductibles may vary according to the policy.

At Carolina Cornea and Laser Center we provide office-based cataract surgery. The office-based surgery fee is $450 per eye and that includes the post-operative medications as well.

For patients who are self-pay, the costs are:

  • Surgeon’s fee: $600/eye
  • Facility fee (OBS) $1,600/eye
  • Intraocular lens (IOL) upgrades – see below

About 40% of our patients choose to upgrade the lens implant.

  • A toric or astigmatism-correcting intraocular lens (IOL) adds $1,800 per eye.
  • To upgrade to a full range of vision IOL, which provides enhanced depth of focus or multifocal capabilities and eliminates the need for glasses costs $2,800 per eye.

The implants are a permanent correction. They are meant to last the rest of your life. Occasionally, some patients may have increased against-the-rule astigmatism as they age and at Carolina Cornea we provide limbal relaxing incisions at no charge if this astigmatism is affecting the vision.

Don’t Wait to Have Cataract Surgery:

Cataracts affect millions of people, and luckily there’s a solution. Cataract surgery is a safe and effective solution to solving your vision problems. The first step is scheduling an appointment to evaluate your needs.

Request An Appointment