Light Up Your Life After Cataract Surgery

JORDAN PYSZ / iFoundMyDoctor.com
Tracey Bradley

Tracey Bradley took up golf later in life, venturing out for the first time a little more than a year ago at age 59 after retiring a few years earlier from her job as the human resources director for a sizable tech firm.

“I’m still a beginner, so when I hit the ball, it doesn’t always go very far,” Tracey says with a chuckle. “Sometimes I take a swing and look down and the ball is still there because I haven’t hit it. But I love to play.

“It’s a social thing for me. I have friends that I play with, and we have a great time no matter how well we play. The other thing I love about golf is that the courses are beautiful. Sometimes I look around and just say, Wow, how lucky am I?”

A few months ago, Tracey began to feel her luck might be running out. A problem with her vision made it difficult to see her golf ball and disrupted her enjoyment of the course’s landscape.

“It was like my distance vision was starting to deteriorate,” she says. “But it wasn’t just on the course where I noticed it. Someone would walk up to me, and I wouldn’t recognize them until they got closer.”

And then there was the driving.

“Especially when it rained, I had a hard time seeing clearly when driving at night because there was a lot of glare,” she adds. “After a while, I was almost afraid to drive at night. I finally said, This is ridiculous. I’m 59 years old. This shouldn’t be stopping me from doing things.”

Restoring her Vision

Tracey’s frustration prompted a visit to the eye doctor she’s been seeing since she and her husband moved from Delaware to Florida a few years ago: Logan T. Vander Woude, DO, MPH, of the Center for Advanced Eye Care.

Rather than settle for a new eyeglass prescription, Tracey intended to request that she undergo LASIK, in which the cornea – the clear front of the eye – is surgically reshaped to correct refractive issues.

She soon learned, though, that LASIK would not do her much good because her vision decline was due to cataracts, a clouding of the lenses, which are made mostly of protein. As people age, some of the proteins may break down and clump together, which causes cataracts.

As with Tracey, the condition usually results in blurred vision, an increase in glare or halos, especially while driving at night, and a reduction in the vibrancy of colors.

The only remedy is the surgical removal of the affected lenses, with the procedures typically done on one eye at a time about a week or two apart.

“I was actually a bit shocked to hear that I had cataracts at my age,” Tracey says. “But after learning about the surgery and everything, I talked to quite a few people about it, and a lot of them told me that they had cataract surgery when they were in their 50s as well.”

Tracey learned even more from Dr. Vander Woude, who explained that after the natural lenses are removed, they are replaced with synthetic intraocular lenses (IOLs).

Like contact lenses, IOLs come in several focusing powers to correct refractive problems. The objective is to reduce or eliminate the need to wear eyeglasses.

Standard IOLs primarily correct the blurry vision and glare associated with cataracts, but don’t eliminate your need for glasses. Multifocal IOLs reduce the need for glasses at distance and near but patients do experience mild halos, so it is not always for everyone.

The new Light Adjustable Lens is quickly becoming a patient and surgeon favorite. This lens can be adjusted to give LASIK-like, exceptional distance vision. In addition, we can customize the reading vision that patients want to get them out of glasses as much as possible. Dr. Vander Woude states “this technology is not only revolutionary, it makes cataract surgery extremely fun and satisfying. As surgeons, we are confident the results we are going to deliver are wonderful, and it is such a joy to be a part of restoring patients’ vision to their younger self. I see delighted patients every day, what could be better!”

There are several multifocal options, the most advanced of which are light-adjustable lenses, which allow up to three refractive modifications in the weeks after surgery to ensure the best outcome. Each adjustment takes only a few minutes using an ultraviolet light directed onto the IOL.

“Because of this technology, the overall quality of the vision a patient can get from the light-adjustable lens is far greater than what we can get with other multifocal IOLs. It also allows for correction of astigmatism, and is the preferred option in patients who have previously undergone LASIK or RK.”

JORDAN PYSZ / iFoundMyDoctor.com
On the golf course, Tracey enjoys keeping her eyes on the ball and the beautiful surroundings since she was fit with light-adjustable replacement lenses after her cataracts were removed.

Thrilling Outcome

A decision on which replacement lens is best is made during a consultation with the doctor in which the patient’s lifestyle, vision goals and eye health are discussed. It was during that discussion that Tracey chose the light-adjustable lens.

“As Dr. Vander Woude went through all the options, I didn’t even have to think about it,” she says. “I pretty much made my decision right then and there. He still encouraged me to go home and think about it, which I did, but I made my decision pretty quickly.”

And she’s happy she did. Following her cataract surgeries, Tracey went through two simple adjustments of the implanted lenses. The fine-tuning so greatly improved her vision that she no longer needs glasses.

“My vision is absolutely fabulous now,” Tracey raves. “My distance vision is spectacular, better than 20/20, and I no longer need readers – which is spectacular. I just have to kick the habit of always reaching for my readers whenever I go to read something, but I’ll do that.
-Tracey

“I’m really thrilled with the outcome, and I have to say, I’m a bit surprised, too, because my husband and my mother had cataract surgery, and it’s not that they had bad outcomes, but the ability to go in afterward and make adjustments is spectacular.”

Tracey’s fear of night driving is now gone, and she’s enjoying golf more because she can see her ball and the course much better.

For that she applauds Dr. Vander Woude and his staff.

“Everyone there is just outstanding,” Tracey enthuses. “Dr. Vander Woude did a great job of explaining how the surgery would go and what he’d be doing – and then, he even called me after the surgery just to check in on me, which was so kind of him.

“And with the staff, I felt pampered and well-cared for. I felt like they really were invested in me having a good outcome, so I would absolutely recommend them and Dr. Vander Woude and the light-adjustable lens. Like I said, they’re all just spectacular.”

Now Offering LASIK

Dr. Vander Woude is also excited to announce that he is now offering LASIK in Fort Pierce! If you aren’t happy with your glasses or contacts, please give us a call for a consultation at 772-410-2810. If you have already had cataract surgery and are unhappy with your results, he also offers laser vision correction to improve your vision without glasses.

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