We always like to take the time to carefully
explain all of the things patients having cataract surgery and lens implants
might experience during their visit to the surgery center and even during their
cataract surgery procedure. In this way we are hopefully helping them relax and
have an easy and comfortable experience as we correct their vision. For just
about all of our patients having cataract surgery, they are awake but very
comfortable. Every once in a while a patient will be curious about what they
will actually see during the cataract procedure since they are awake. As this
can really vary greatly from patient to patient we were please to find the results of a study that can give patients
some guidance of what they might experience.
Results
Patients having cataract surgery were asked
to describe the quality of the visual experience as,
pleasant, neutral or unpleasant. The group of 200 patients interviewed in the
study included an almost even mix of men and woman around the age of 70 years
old and as is to be expected, were a bit anxious before the surgery and were
given an oral tablet to help them relax. They all reported seeing some
gradation of colors including in descending order blue, red, pink, yellow,
green, purple, turquoise, and orange with the most common color combination
being red-blue light which was most likely from the operating microscope.
Most-61% of the light and color experiences during surgery were reported to be
pleasant, 38% were neutral and 1% found them transiently unpleasant. Overall the
experience of light and colors seen during cataract surgery is mildly pleasant
and in fact should reassure patients that the visual experience is actually
somewhat calming and relaxing during surgery.
If you or some you know is concerned about
having a cataract or needing cataract surgery and lens implants and worried
about what they will see, please call us
at 508-730-2020, visit Center for Sight, Google+ or www.facebook.com/centerforsightfallriver to schedule an appointment.
Center for Sight is
conveniently located at 1565 North Main Street, Suite 406, Fall
River, Massachusetts 02720 for patients from
Massachusetts or Rhode Island.
