Living near New York City, Lissette Gonzalez often visits the Museum of Modern Art and watches off-Broadway productions with her family.

This spring, a cataract in her right eye affected her vision, impacting her travels to the Big Apple.

“All I could really make out would be like shadow and light,” she said. “It got to the point where I would have my son stand in front of me and just wave his hand.”

The Hudson County, New Jersey, woman said the vision loss made navigating the crowded city difficult.

“I was legitimately scared to walk, to cross the streets,” Gonzalez, 50, said. “I should not be scared just to walk down city streets that I’m used to walking. It’s not like I never go to New York.”

Cataracts are the leading cause of preventable blindness worldwide and of vision loss in the United States. If not treated, cataracts may impair or cause complete loss of eyesight.

Blurry Vision Leads to Eye Exam, Cataract Diagnosis

Gonzalez’s journey began about 19 months ago when she started noticing changes in her eyesight. She made an appointment with ophthalmologist Hardik Parikh, MD, FAAO, in early 2023.

“She came to me with a vision problem in her right eye,” Dr. Parikh said. “She wasn’t seeing clearly for the last few months. She was having a harder time working at her computer, tending to have to refocus constantly. Her vision at nighttime was also impacted. She was having a lot more glare than she was normally accustomed to.”

After a comprehensive eye exam, Dr. Parikh diagnosed Gonzalez with a posterior subcapsular cataract. This fast-developing cataract starts in the backmost part of the lens in the eye and blocks the center part of your vision where the light passes through.

A patient has two options when diagnosed with a cataract. They can wait and adjust their glasses or contacts or have cataract removal surgery, according to Dr. Parikh.

“I would definitely recommend the procedure,” he said. “Cataract surgery overall is one of the safest procedures that we have in all of ophthalmology.”

Gonzalez determined her slightly blurry vision was manageable and delayed cataract surgery. A posterior subcapsular cataract is generally faster growing than other cataracts. About 14 months after her initial diagnosis, Gonzalez experienced light perception vision.

“Even if we took a hand and waved it in front of her eye, going back and forth, she wouldn’t know that the hand was there,” Dr. Parikh said.

Choosing an Intraocular Lens and Cataract Surgery

In March, Gonzalez scheduled her cataract surgery for June 13 at an ambulatory surgery center (ASC). ASCs offer safe, high-quality outpatient medical procedures.

During this procedure, a doctor replaces the cloudy lens of a patient’s eye with an artificial lens. This intraocular lens (IOL) is a clear, plastic lens that becomes a permanent part of the eye.

Depending on your visual needs and lifestyle, several IOLs are available.

• Monofocal Lenses help with distance vision, but you may still need glasses for reading or if you have astigmatism. Medicare and other insurance plans usually cover these.
• Astigmatism-correcting Monofocal Lenses correct your astigmatism as well as your cataracts during one simple procedure. Most people only need glasses for reading after surgery.
• Multifocal or Extended Depth of Focus Lenses help you see both near and far, so you may be able to go glasses-free after surgery.

Gonzalez selected a monofocal IOL and opted to undergo femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery. In this procedure, Dr. Parikh designed a specific surgical plan with a 3-D image of her right eye called optical coherence tomography (OCT).

“We’re using technology to better augment a surgeon’s hands, making tasks easier, more efficient, more predictable, and more standardized,” Dr. Parikh said. “Anything that really helps with the patient’s outcome at the end of the day is a win for us.”

By surgery day, Gonzalez said she was ready to regain her sight.

“I felt at ease with the procedure,” she said. “Sure, with any procedure there’s a risk, but I, personally, at that moment, felt like I had nothing to lose because I already had no sight and it was affecting my quality of life.”

After a seamless surgery-day process, Gonzalez returned the next day for her follow-up appointment.

“Laser-related surgery is really putting yourself in the hands of professionals that can deliver results,” she said. “I walked out of there being able to see again. I had my sight back.”

Dr. Parikh prescribed eye drops for Gonzalez to prevent infection and to reduce inflammation over the next few weeks.

“By about the first month after surgery, they’re generally off all eye drops and they’re back to living their normal lives as things were before the surgery,” he said.

Patient Returns to the Big Apple without Fear

Today, Gonzalez said her vision is better than ever. Her right eye is 20/20 and she has new prescription glasses to accommodate her left eye, which also has a small cataract.

Her restored sight gave Gonzalez confidence to return to New York City. She recently watched an off-Broadway play and viewed her favorite artwork by French Neo-Impressionist painter Paul Signac at the Museum of Modern Art.

“I was able to see everything comfortably,” she said. “I didn’t really deprive myself of my typical activities [before], but what I appreciate is being able to do them without a sense of fear. Just being able to move in the world without having to worry … It just feels good just feeling safe.”

Prioritizing her eye care and cataract surgery restored Gonzalez’s vision and quality of life.

“My only regret was not doing it sooner,” she said.

Schedule a Visit with Your Eye Doctor

September is designated as Healthy Aging Month to raise awareness of the signs and symptoms of vision loss. One in six Americans aged 65 and older have a vision impairment that cannot be corrected with glasses or contact lenses.

Prioritize your vision health by scheduling a visit with your ophthalmologist for a comprehensive eye exam. Your eye doctor will check your visual acuity, evaluate your current eye prescription and screen you for eye conditions like cataracts, glaucoma and macular degeneration. Call today for an appointment.

This article is designed for educational purposes only. The information provided should not be used for diagnosing or treating a health concern or disease. It is not a substitute for professional care. If you have or suspect you may have a health concern, you should consult your healthcare provider.