For more severe cases, surgery to remove the cataract is recommended. Without the surgery, people will become blind. With the surgery, more than 95 percent of all patients will experience improved vision. Better vision enables patients, especially seniors, to lead more independent, productive lives. The surgery, usually performed as an out-patient procedure with topical and local anesthesia, is nearly painless.
Patients can resume their normal activities almost immediately.
The program will make it possible for financially disadvantaged seniors who qualify to receive a referral to a local ophthalmologist for a medical eye exam. A cataract is a cloudy or opaque area in the normally clear lens of the eye, located behind the colored part called the iris. Light rays normally pass through and focus on the retina, the light-sensitive tissue lining the back of the eye. When a cloudiness or opacity progresses, light cannot get through, hampering vision. Approximately 13 million Americans age 40 and older have developed age-related cataracts.