What to Expect During Your Cataract Evaluation
Offices in Oklahoma City, Tulsa, Norman, Ada, Elk City, Muskogee and throughout Oklahoma
A Cataract
is a clouding of your eye's naturally clear lens. People with cataracts complain of gradual, painless decrease in vision. If you've been told you might have a cataract blocking your vision, your first step is to call to schedule your personal cataract evaluation with BVA staff and physicians. Plan on spending from 1-3 hours with us on the day of your consultation. If you are a regular contact lens wearer, plan on being out of your contacts for about two weeks prior to the consultation to allow your corneas to return to a normal curvature, if possible. For questions about contact lens wear, call your Cataract Surgery Counselor at your local BVA office. Since we'll probably use eye drops to dilate (widen) your pupils to help the doctor get a better view inside your eyes, bring a pair of sunglasses and a driver if possible. The dilation of your pupils will make the sunlight brighter than usual and will last for several hours. If your insurance plan requires a pre-authorization, please make the necessary arrangements to access our care before you come in for your consultation. We're happy to help you with insurance plan assistance, but we can't secure an authorization for you.
On the day of your consultation, plan to arrive at your BVA office about 10 minutes early to finish any required paperwork for registration or insurance processing. Bring any eyeglasses you normally wear, a list of your current medications, your Medicare and/or any other insurance plan info and any list of questions you want to ask your doctor or staff about your eyes or eyesight. Most BVA offices offer fresh coffee, water and soft drinks to help keep you comfortable and relaxed during your stay with us. By all means, bring one or more family members with you to meet your doctor if you choose. We welcome patients and their loved ones. If you need transportation, please let us know.
During your "work-up", a specially trained ophthalmic technician will ask you questions about your present and past medical and ocular history, as well as any family history of illness or eye disease. Pre-consultation testing will likely include measurements for glaucoma, retinal disease and specific biometric measurements pertaining to cataract and lens replacements (keratometry to measure corneal curvature and axial length of your eyeball to determine the refractive state of your eye). Other conditions may warrant further testing. Your BVA technicians and/or doctors will explain, in advance, any testing recommended. Past medical records are helpful, but not necessary. At BVA we believe in patient education so you can expect to learn about the anatomy and physiology of your eye, about common eye maladies, including cataract which affects 75% of people over 65. We will offer education to you through our phone operators, technicians, surgery counselors and of course, your doctors.
Once you've had your "tests" and your eyes have dilated fully (takes 20-30 minutes), your evaluation will continue with your optometric physician and/or your ophthalmic surgeon. Only BVA surgeons perform cataract removal and implantation of intraocular lenses, but BVA optometric physicians often provide the initial pre-surgery cataract consultation, especially in satellite offices. Be assured that all BVA doctors, optometrist and ophthalmologist, are licensed and experienced in the pre-operative, intra-operative and post-operative care of cataract patients. By having personal relationships with several experts within BVA: surgeon, optometric physicians and surgery counselors, we believe you are better served with quicker access to care should you need it. Certainly, feel free to ask any questions you may have and take an active role in your own health care. If you have a special choice among BVA doctors, please notify our staff when you call to book your appointment.
If it's determined that your vision problem is caused by cataract, the recommendation may be for you to undergo cataract extraction and lens implantation at a surgery facility nearby. The actual surgery is not performed at BVA on the day of your consultation. You and your surgery counselor will select a convenient date, time and location for your cataract surgery. Cataract surgery is usually elective (non-emergency) and performed on one eye at a time. If you need surgery on the second eye, a later surgery date will be selected.
When you leave BVA following your cataract evaluation, you should have answers to your questions about cataracts along with a personalized medical recommendation that includes risks, benefits and alternative treatments for you, personally .
For more information about Lasik, cataracts, eyelids or other procedures, please call or e-mail us today.
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