One of the most common procedures performed by Dr. William De La Peña and his colleagues at the De La Peña Eye Clinic is cataract surgery. Cataracts are highly prevalent in older people: more than half of all Americans will have cataracts or have undergone cataract surgery by the time they are 80. Read on for answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about this surgical procedure.

Question: Is cataract surgery always necessary?

Answer: Patients typically choose to have cataract surgery when they find that their cataracts are significantly impairing their vision. Before this point, it may be possible to manage cataract symptoms with tools like new glasses, anti-glare sunglasses, or magnifying lenses. Patients and their eye care professionals will usually make the decision together about if and when surgery should happen.

Question: Does cataract surgery hurt?

Answer: Cataract surgery today is a virtually painless procedure. Patients usually stay awake for the surgery, which lasts less than an hour, and are given anesthesia to relax and numb the nerves in and around the area of the eye.

Question: Is cataract surgery performed on both eyes at once?

Answer: Even when patients have cataracts in both eyes, surgery is typically performed only on one eye at a time in order to minimize the loss of functionality. The second eye can usually undergo the procedure anywhere from one to four weeks after the first eye has been treated.

Question: How long is the recovery period?

Answer: Thanks to contemporary surgical methods, most patients are able to resume basic everyday activities like reading or watching television within a day or two following surgery, when moderate discomfort has disappeared. Complete healing is usually achieved within eight weeks.