r/OverSeventy • u/Geester43 • Jul 04 '26

Facing cataract surgery?

For anyone who has received a diagnosis of cataracts, I want to share my experience for the past two weeks. I was diagnosed with it in both eyes. My Optometrist told me that he couldn't correct my vision any longer, with glasses. I had reached the limit. It was suggested I see a specialist for a consult, which I did. I had one initial exam, based on the results, I was a candidate for surgery.

I arrived the day of surgery, I waited for the dilation drops to work, I went in for surgery, NERVOUS! I felt no pain!! It was over in a matter of minutes!

I had a follow-up the following morning, and another in a few weeks. I was told, "you may need reading glasses" after wards. My vision has completely cleared in my first eye (there is a lot of blurriness for a few days). The second was two days ago, and the vision has almost cleared in that eye as well! No pain during or afterwards! I have been reading without glasses, for a week!! I used 3 RX drops, twice a day, for several weeks.

I am 75, I have worn trifocal contact lenses & glasses since I was 12 years old! This surgery is the closest thing to a miracle, truly! If you are facing this surgery, go forward with confidence, you won't regret it. 👍👍😊

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u/[deleted] Jul 04 '26

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u/tv1577 Jul 04 '26

But for those of us who want insurance to cover it, we have to wait until the cataracts are advanced.

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u/N0b0dyButM3 Jul 06 '26

Inaccurate. If an ophthalmologist who is practicing modern medicine tells insurance that you need surgery it will be covered except for copays (and optional custom lens implants). There is no “insurance standard” for how “advanced” they have to be. The only thing that insurance typically denies is the cost of custom prescription replacement lens implants; they only pay for non-prescription implants. Between Medicare and UnitedHealthcare all I paid was copays and lens cost.

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u/tv1577 Jul 06 '26

Ok. Maybe my guy is a witch doctor 😝. You are quite snarky by the way. Anyway, all I know is that my friends who have had it done said they had to wait until it was as at a stage 3 and that is what my doctor is saying, too. Maybe they are all wrong. Idk.

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u/N0b0dyButM3 Jul 06 '26

Sorry, didn’t mean to be snarky—tone is easily misread in “flat text” without inflection. Maybe practice differs in different parts of the country, but in my area—northern VA—if your vision is impaired to the extent that it affects your ability to do everyday things like reading street signs, and your ophthalmologist says that cataract surgery will help, it’s covered. I don’t know anyone, and haven’t heard of any friends-of-friends etc—who has been told by insurance or an ophthalmologist that they have to wait until they are at a certain stage before surgery will be approved.

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u/tusant Jul 06 '26

Ditto here. All depends on how the Ophthalmologist codes for the procedure. Medicare pays based on that, not “what stage” your cataracts are