Despite its phenomenal outcomes in skilled hands, modern cataract surgery can be overwhelming for patients to understand. Which technique? Which lens? Should I have my astigmatism corrected? Will I encounter night glare with a multifocal lens? Should I consider a light adjustable lens? What can go wrong? Will it hurt? The expert eye surgeon must be mindful of the patients’ baseline vision status, the health of their retina, their emotional constitution, their fears and provide as best as they are able – superb results on each and every patient. It’s a high bar to which all ophthalmic surgeons strive.
As frequently as it is performed in the United States, surgery is for each patient, a novel experience. So the additional challenge for eye surgeons is to step out of their own shoes and into those of their patients, to ensure that their surgical outcomes are not only pristine, but their experiences feel in which they’ve been personally cared for, and not feel as if they are on a conveyer belt.
A top quality ophthalmic surgical experience is a strong positive for both surgeon and patient. And the referring doctor will experience years of gratitude from their patients for their care, empathy, and attention to detail in which they placed their patients’ outcome and experience above all else.
