I was unclear - I meant that I imagine there are a lot of cataract surgeons in Florida and I confirmed today that there are. I made an appt for 4/16. Thanks again.
Well since my practice for over 30 years has been cataracts I can't imagine that you're having this problem. Chose your next eye surgeon with some care, ideally someone with FAAO behind his/her name (Fellow American Academy of Ophthalmology) and FACS (Fellow American College of Surgeons). Emphasize to the surgeon how much of a daily problem the vision is.
JCH MD FACS FAAO
Yes - Florida, which seems to me would have a lot of cataract surgeons given the large number of retirees who live here.
Do you live in USA?
JCH MD
Thank you very much for your reply. It seemed so obvious to me that there must be something that can be done. He has reluctantly told me, as I write this, that at certain times of day he can no longer discern whether traffic lights are red or green. We are going to have a consultation with a cataract surgeon as soon as possible.
As a former cataract patient (now with implanted lenses), I can tell you that no glasses or Lasik-type procedure will help with cataracts. The problem is that the natural lens, which is in the interior of the eye, is clouded. It simply has to be taken out and replaced (these days, though not in years past, when Coke-bottle glasses were given to such patients).
I think you need--yourself--to talk with your insurance agent to see what your coverage actually is. If your husband's eyesight is so bad as to be medically disabling, I would be surprised if there were not a provision for this in your health insurance. Ask them about it.
The fancy lens implants, which I have, are very pricey, and are not suited to everyone. However, the basic, no-frills lenses--plus glasses--usually give cataract patients back their ability to function normally, and in the great scheme of things are not horribly expensive to install.
I am sure that one of the generous eye doctors here will have further advice for you.
Something is wrong. If the "bad eye" was able to see normal (about 20/20) when he was younger and before the cataract developed and now it's 20/50 due to cataracts and he has glare/driving problems that would meet the definition for needing cataract surgery any where in the USA (all private insurance plans, Medicare, Medicaid, Tri-Care).
So if you live in the USA ask your family MD to refer you at a cataract surgeon or go to www.geteyesmart.org and find one near you.
If you live outside the USA, especially in a country with socialized, government run healthcare like UK then this is often part of official NHS directives that "ration" healthcare.
JCH MD