How to Select a Cataract Surgeon

Surgery is the only way to remove protein buildups on your eyes that often cause vision problems. Even if you don't have eyesight problems yet, your doctor may recommend you for surgery to prevent future problems. You need to select the proper cataract surgeon for your condition.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Learn to Select a Cataract Surgeon

1. Ask your primary eye doctor for a list of surgeons he recommends. The surgeons who perform cataract surgery are called ophthalmologists. Your eye doctor probably knows one or two surgeons in your area very well. If you're having trouble finding a surgeon consider looking at a website like DocShop (see Resources below).
2. Take to your insurance about what the conditions are for covering your cataract surgery. You'll want to find a surgeon that is covered by your health insurance.
3. Schedule a consultation visit with each of your potential surgeons. Bring a list of questions about cataract surgery with you. You'll probably want to know how long the surgeons have been practicing for and what is their success rate with cataract surgery.
4. Ask your surgeon how many of her patients came back to have corrective surgery after their cataract operation. Sometimes a second protein buildup will happen in the years after cataract surgery and require removal with a laser.
5. Find out if the surgeon prefers to use local or general anesthesia. Either method works well with cataract surgery, but if you have anxiety about having your eye cut open you might want to be sure that general anesthesia is available to you.
6. Ask all of the surgeons when they expect payment. Most, but not all, surgeons ask to be paid the entire amount prior to surgery. You might be able to find a surgeon with a different payment policy if it affects how you will finance your operation.
7. Talk about the medications the surgeon prescribes after surgery. Some surgeons like to use different kinds of anti-inflammatory and anti-infection medications. You need to be sure that the surgeon knows about any allergies to medication that you may have.

Tips & Warnings

• It's okay to tell a surgeon that you are considering all the possible doctors in the area for your surgery.
• You don't have to use the surgeon that your primary eye doctor selects. It's more important that you find a professional surgeon who you are comfortable with.
• Be sure that the surgeon you select has 24-hour support available after surgery. You need to be able to reach a professional if you experience post-surgical complications.