Choosing a Cataract Surgeon
If you have been diagnosed with cataracts, cataract surgery is the only way to restore your vision. Your choice of a cataract surgeon can have significant impact on the quality of your results, so choosing your cataract surgeon carefully is worth the time and effort. Here are some basic steps to find the right surgeon.
Get Referrals
The first place to start your search is talking to friends and family that have had cataract surgery. Cataract surgery is one of the most commonly performed surgical procedures in the US, so it’s likely you’re not the first person you know to have it. Ask about the surgical and postsurgical experience, as well as the quality of their results. You will also want to learn about how the surgeon handled all follow-up visits and any vision problems if they occurred. Don’t forget to ask friends and family how they chose their surgeons. If they used care in their selection, rate their choice of surgeon more highly.
Don’t forget to talk to your regular eye doctor about referrals. Your regular eye doctor likely knows many of the cataract surgeons in the area and can give you an informed recommendation. However, always make sure to ask why the surgeon is recommended. If your regular eye doctor can’t give a few detailed reasons, it may just be a paid referral relationship, and should not be taken as seriously.
Research Online
Likely you already have a good list of cataract surgeons to choose from. When you go online you can check out the referrals you’ve received as well as look at other potential candidates. You want to learn more about the surgeons you are considering, including their training, philosophy, and method of practice. There are many factors to consider at this stage, including:
- Board certified ophthalmologists are the only surgeons you should consider for this procedure
- Experience working with patients like you (do you have LASIK, prior eye injury, glaucoma, or diabetic retinopathy?)
- Do they take your insurance?
- Do they offer options you are considering, such as advanced lens implants?
- You might eliminate a couple of your current choices, or you might add one or two.
You should also look at online reviews. Remember to take online reviews with a grain of salt and to not base your decision entirely on a single glowing or harsh review.
Schedule Personal Consultations
After you’ve identified a short list of practices, it’s time to meet surgeons in person. It’s best to talk to more than one surgeon before making your decision–it’s your eyes after all and you want to make sure you find the best surgeon for you. You want to find one that makes you completely happy and comfortable with the surgeon. Don’t forget to bring up any online reviews that caused you concern–likely the surgeon can explain the circumstances of the review for context.
We want you to consider your options carefully, and we have confidence that if you consider you look around, you will find that our cataract surgeons equal any in the Kansas City area. To learn whether our surgeons are right for you, please contact Silverstein Eye Centers.
