Choices to be Made

When it comes to cataract surgery, no single option works best for everyone. As you and your doctor explore which type of intraocular lens is right for you, there will be many things to think about and choices to be made.

Your individual medical condition, the characteristics of your eyes (including whether you have an astigmatism), your lifestyle, and the risk and benefits of treatment options are all things that you and doctor will talk about as you prepare for cataract surgery. And while medical considerations will often outweigh lifestyle factors, sometimes these lifestyle factors can be the most difficult to evaluate.

We have prepared a brief Lifestyle Assessment to help acquaint you with the various factors you will have to consider before choosing an IOL. The Assessment will ask you a series of six questions designed to help you think through many of the factors that will affect your choice of intraocular lens. At the end of the assessment, you will have the opportunity to print both the questions and your responses so that you may take it with you to your doctor.

Please note: For privacy reasons, your responses will not be stored on CataractSurgery.com, so we heartily suggest that you print your responses at the end. But you may return to this site and take the assessment as many times as you wish.

Homework

In order for your responses to be as accurate and as honest as possible, we suggest that you do a little homework prior to beginning.

1. Think about how you use your vision. Take a day, or longer, and note the activities you perform the most often.

   • What activities or tasks are necessary to your daily life?
   • To your job?
   • To the hobbies that you love and engage in or would like to engage in the most often?
   • During which of these activities would find wearing glasses the most inconvenient or aggravating?

2. Completing the rest of the assessment will be easier if you have some basic knowledge about cataracts and cataract treatment options. Terms used in assessment for which a glossary definition is available are underlined in orange; however, we suggest that you review the following sections of this site before you proceed.

   • What are Cataracts?
   • What Are the Options?
   • What is Cataract Surgery?
   • What is an Intraocular Lens?
   • Types of IOLs

Have you done your homework? Begin the Assessment.

Remember, be honest with yourself. You have an opportunity to improve your vision for the rest of your life.