The decision to proceed with cataract surgery should be made with your doctor after he/she measures your vision, examines your eye(s), and listens to your description of the visual problems you are experiencing.

With modern medical technology, cataracts are routinely treated safely and effectively using microsurgical techniques. Today, cataract extraction is one of the most successful surgical procedures-about 98 percent of all cataract surgical procedures result in improved vision.

Today, cataract surgery is performed through a microscope with the assistance of several highly trained operating room personnel in a suite with specialized eye surgery equipment. (Photo courtesy of the Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University Hospital)

During the early stages of cataract development, more frequent changes in your eyeglass prescription may be sufficient to restore adequate vision. Surgery should be considered when the reduced vision caused by cataracts begins to interfere with normal daily activities such as reading and driving, even when corrective glasses are used. Although the potential risks of surgery must be weighed against its potential benefits, delaying surgery can lead to accidents when driving as well as personal injury such as falls. In addition, the surgical removal of advanced cataracts is more difficult than the removal of less dense cataracts.

Tell your doctor if any of these statements apply to you:

• I do not feel safe driving because of difficulty reading signs, glare from lights at night, or other visual disturbances.
  
• I do not see well enough to do my best at work.
  
• I do not see well enough to do the things I need to do at home.
  
• I do not see well enough to do things I enjoy, such as reading, sewing, or playing golf.
  
• Because of my poor vision, I may bump into things, stumble, or fall.
  
• Because of my poor vision, I am not as independent as I would like to be.
  
• I cannot see as well as I would like to see, even with my glasses.
  
• My eyesight bothers me a lot.

You may have other specific visual problems you want to discuss with your eye doctor.