Can You Have Cataract Surgery On Both Eyes At The Same Time?

Do you have cataracts? If so, you may be thinking about having cataract surgery.

After all, it’s the only way to have your cataracts removed. But you may not exactly understand how the procedure works.

You may even be wondering if you can have the procedure performed on both eyes at the same time. Keep reading to learn more about cataract surgery and if you can have it performed on both eyes at the same time!

Can I Have Cataracts on Both Eyes Removed at the Same Time?

Cataract surgery is a procedure that involves removing the natural lens of your eye and replacing it with an artificial lens. This is also called an IOL.

It’s not uncommon to have cataracts in both eyes. If this happens, you’ll need cataract surgery on both eyes.

But you won’t have the procedure done on both eyes at the same time. It seems like that would make sense since it would save time.

But if you had cataract surgery on both eyes, you’d have to recover simultaneously. Recovering from cataract surgery can be a lengthy process.

It is not unusual to want to speed things up by getting it over with. But due to the nature of the surgery, your vision will be severely impaired for the first few days of recovery.

Recovering After Cataract Surgery on Both Eyes Could be Dangerous

It could take a few weeks to fully regain your vision as the eye heals. Going that long without decent vision in at least one eye can be dangerous and difficult.

During the very beginning of recovery, you will need to wear a shield over the recovering eye to protect it. Being unable to see out of both eyes is both unsafe and challenging for anyone recovering after a surgical procedure.

More importantly, is the fact that your eyes are more likely to become infected while healing after surgery. Infections can spread from one eye to the other.

Having both in a state of recovery at the same time increases that risk. Some eye care practices do offer what is called “simultaneous bilateral cataract surgery”, or SBCS for short.

This is just a technical term for performing cataract surgery on both days. To find out what your options are, set up a cataract screening with us!

What You Can Expect During Your Cataract Screening

A cataract screening will determine if your vision problems are due to a cataract developing on the lens of your eye and how mature it is. This will allow you and your eye doctor to plan for your eventual surgery and discuss your timing strategy.

You won’t need to have cataract surgery unless your cataracts are impacting your vision significantly. Unless you are having difficulty completing tasks like reading, driving, or chores, you have some flexibility for when to have the procedure.

To search for a cataract, the doctor may perform a slit-lamp examination. This allows your eye doctor to look inside your eye.

The slit-lamp machine shines a bright light inside your eye while using magnification. This shows your eye doctor microscopic portions of your eye to look for the tiniest abnormalities.

They may also perform a retinal exam, which involves dilating the pupil to get a better look at the internal structures of the eye.

Wondering if you may need to have cataract surgery? Schedule your cataract screening at Vermont Eye Laser in Burlington, VT, now!