Lissette Gonzalez sat at her dining room table 18 months ago looking at a photo of her son with New York City in the background.
The Hudson County, New Jersey, stay-at-home mom recalled that the picture-perfect image suddenly looked fuzzy in her right eye.
“I had a little itch in my left eye, so [I was] just looking at the photo with my right,” she said. “Is his picture a little fuzzy? So, I covered up that eye and looked. It’s just slightly fuzzier.”
Gonzalez, 50, said she had started new medication and wondered if that could be affecting her vision. 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, Gonzalez was diagnosed with a posterior subcapsular cataract. This fast-developing cataract starts in the back part of the lens in the eye and greatly affects reading or night vision.
“This cataract [was] blocking this center part of the vision where the light passes through,” Dr. Parikh said. “It’s extremely visually significant and extremely problematic, and patients notice it very early on.”
Fast-growing Cataract Impairs Vision
Cataracts are the leading cause of blindness globally and of vision loss in the U.S. An estimated 20.5 million Americans aged 40 years and older have cataracts in one or both eyes. If not treated, cataracts may impair or cause complete loss of eyesight.
“When a cataract is diagnosed, there are really two ways in which to move forward,” Dr. Parikh said. “One is to essentially wait and watch and adjust the glasses or contacts as needed to provide the patient with the best possible vision. The second option is to go ahead and plan for cataract surgery.”
Gonzalez determined her slightly blurry vision was manageable and delayed cataract surgery. Six months later, Dr. Parikh examined her right eye again. Gonzalez estimated her vision worsened by 30 percent due to the cataract, but postponed surgery again.
“I had regrets because it just went downhill so fast that six months later I’m blind in this eye,” she said. “I used that picture of my son as that litmus [test] — like how much less of him I see clearly. Over time, I would cover my eye and he’s just getting fuzzier and fuzzier. Then it just came to be that I can’t make out his face.”
About 14 months after her initial diagnosis, Dr. Parikh said Gonzalez was experiencing 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,” he explained.
Patient Selects Intraocular Lens and Laser Surgery
The treatment for cataracts is surgery. Gonzalez said her vision loss was affecting her quality of life, so she scheduled her cataract surgery at River Drive Surgery and Laser Center in Elmwood Park, New Jersey.
“I would definitely recommend the procedure,” Dr. Parikh said. “Cataract surgery is overall one of the safest procedures that we have in all of ophthalmology.”
During cataract surgery, 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.
Gonzalez selected a monofocal IOL, which helps with distance vision. With these lenses, you may still need glasses for reading or if you have astigmatism. Medicare and other insurance plans usually cover these IOLs.
She 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 eye called optical coherence tomography (OCT).
“This is a computer-guided laser that helps with certain parts of the surgery,” Dr. Parikh said. “We’re using technology to better augment a surgeon’s hands, making tasks easier, more efficient, more predictable, and more standardized. It also corrects low levels of astigmatism. Anything that really helps with the patient’s outcome at the end of the day is a win for us.”
“My only regret was not doing it sooner.”
Cataract surgery generally takes 15-20 minutes. The patient is usually at the ambulatory surgery center (ASC) for about two hours. Gonzalez’s cataract surgery was June 13.
“I was so sick of being half blind,” Gonzalez said. “Getting my sight back for me canceled out any other concerns. So, I wasn’t nervous at all. I was just like, ‘Let’s get this done.’ My only regret was not doing it sooner.”
After a seamless surgery day process, Gonzalez returned the next day for her follow-up appointment.
“The young lady in the office took off the bandage and everything, and I looked around,” Gonzalez said. “It was sensitive to light a little bit, [but] I can see! It’s like a miracle. That’s what it felt like.”
Seeing the elation on his patient’s face, Dr. Parikh described Gonzalez as “20/Happy” after her cataract surgery.
“‘20/Happy’ is when you can stop quantifying how good a patient’s vision is in terms of numbers and you start quantifying it in degrees of emotions,” he said. “Nothing beats ‘20/Happy’ — for the patient and for us.”
Choose an ASC for Your Cataract Surgery
Ambulatory surgery centers, like River Drive Surgery and Laser Center, offer safe, high-quality outpatient medical procedures.
“Being at an ambulatory surgical center is such an efficient process, not only for the healthcare system but also for patients in terms of minimizing how much time they spend both in the operating room and the facility,” Dr. Parikh said.
Gonzalez said her vision is better than ever. Her right eye is 20/20. She has new prescription glasses to accommodate her left eye, which now has a small cataract.
She plans to return to River Drive Surgery and Laser Center when it’s time for cataract removal.
“The moment I see fuzziness, I’m not waiting,” she said. “I know I’ll be going there for the other eye. And I know that I’ll be in good hands.”
Gonzalez said she would recommend cataract surgery at an ASC.
“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.”
Schedule Your Comprehensive Eye Exam
September is Healthy Aging Month to raise awareness of the signs and symptoms of vision loss.
To protect and preserve your eyesight, find an ophthalmologist near you and schedule a comprehensive eye exam. Your eye doctor will check your vision and test for common eye conditions like cataracts, glaucoma and macular degeneration.
If you need an eye doctor, our vision centers are located nationwide and are accepting new patients. Prioritize your eye health and schedule a visit today.
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.