More than half of all Americans age 65 and older have cataracts, a clouding of the eye's lens. But new advances make treating cataracts even more successful. New technology changed one Manchester woman's life.
The lights glare. Things are cloudy and blurry. Colors are faded. These are just some of the symptoms of cataracts, a clouding of the eye's lens. Beverly Bradley faced those same symptoms. She came to University of Iowa Hospitals and clinics for help.
Bradley used to get out a magnifying glass to read the newspaper and magazines. Her cataracts had gotten so bad she even gave up driving. Doctors actually considered her legally blind.
Then, she underwent a new form of cataract surgery, available at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. Surgeons used advanced techniques, which allowed for much faster recovery. The results were dramatic.
"My vision has just turned around. I just could see everything. Everything's so bright and colorful," says Bradley.
"A smaller incision allows for much faster rehabilitation. Instead of waiting five to six weeks before they can see, they can often see reasonably well the day of the surgery and certainly within a few days, they're back to their normal activity," says Tim Johnson, M.D., UI Health Care Ophthalmologist.
Bradley is back to reading again - without a magnifying glass or even glasses. She plans to get her driver's license back, too.
"If you have cataracts, you sure want to have them taken care of, because you miss seeing a lot of things," Bradley says.
"This is one of the most rewarding parts of my job, to have somebody who's very sad and unhappy because they can't see to read or see their grandchildren's faces or watch television... we take them in, do surgery and restore them to nearly perfect vision" says Johnson.
For Bradley, seeing is believing.
The National Eye Institute suggests that if you are 60 or older, you should have an eye exam at least every two years.
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