A recent study shows that cataract surgery may not only restore clear vision, but also prolong your life expectancy. The findings were published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).
Mack Eye Center, a team of board certified eye doctors in Hoffman Estates, unpacks the study’s findings in this blog post.
What the Study Found
Researchers from the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles, conducted a 20-year study of 74,044 women with cataracts. The most significant finding was that there was a 60 percent lower risk of death among women that underwent cataract surgery. What’s more, the women who had their cataracts removed were sicker to begin with and had more cases of glaucoma, peptic ulcers, heart attacks and chronic pulmonary diseases than the women who did not undergo cataract surgery.
The Connection Between Cataract Surgery and Increased Lifespan
Cataracts is a non-life-threatening condition; however, the loss of vision it causes can be debilitating. As cataracts progress, vision decreases, making everyday activities like reading difficult. This can affect one’s ability to take the right medications or dosage. Other common symptoms of cataracts include halos around lights and glare, which can make driving at night dangerous. The effects of cataracts also increase a person’s chances of serious falls or fractures. One 2012 study published in JAMA found that people who underwent cataract surgery had lower rates of hip fractures than their peers who did not have their cataracts removed.
Cataract surgery is usually recommended when the condition has begun to interfere with everyday life. If you feel that cataracts are making certain daily tasks like reading and driving difficult to complete, Mack Eye Center encourages you to consider cataract surgery. In a short procedure, our board certified surgeons can remove the cataract and replace it with an artificial intraocular lens (IOL) to restore clear vision. Recovery is short and most patients experience an improvement in vision within a few days after surgery. Following cataract surgery, you can complete everyday tasks much more easily and safely.
To learn more about cataract surgery, including whether you are an appropriate candidate for the procedure, please schedule a consultation. Contact Mack Eye Center to speak to a member of our trusted team today.
