A Different World Following Cataract Surgery

“Have confidence in your ophthalmologist, your ability to recover and the excellent services at CentraCare Eye Center — right here in our community.”

Brian Hart of St. Cloud knows all too well about challenges when it comes to his eyes. He has worn glasses since second grade and was diagnosed with cataracts 10 years ago. Cataracts are part of the normal aging process. They occur when proteins in the lens of the eye start to break down, causing the lens to get cloudy. Thankfully, cataracts can easily be corrected with surgery that replaces the eye’s natural lens with an implant.

Early on Brian’s cataracts were manageable but a little over a year ago he started to experience rapid deterioration in his eyesight. It started to affect his reading, driving and volunteer work.

Brian serves as the international service director for the Rotary Club, which is currently working to solve water problems within remote communities in the Dominican Republic. As part of this volunteer role, Brian supports Summertime by George by identifying and working with sponsors for the free concert, which is put on each week during the summer by the Rotary at Lake George in downtown St. Cloud. During the beginning and end of summer, the festival often wraps up while it is dark, which became an issue for Brian, especially driving home. Brian quickly lost confidence in his driving, finding he was unable to read print on billboards or drive at night due to headlight glare.

He felt it was time to see Ophthalmologist Shannon Cabrera, MD, at the CentraCare Eye Center. “She was very careful and thorough,” said Brian. “She did imaging of my eyes, lens and interior eye to rule out other issues.” Once it was determined the cataracts were the main problem, Dr. Cabrera and Brian worked together on choosing the best implant for Brian.

“At the Eye Center we offer several lens options,” said Dr. Cabrera. “We help patients select the lens that best fits a person’s lifestyle and goals.”

In the end, Brian chose a lens aimed at giving him the best distance vision possible. When the surgery was complete, Brian found that this selection improved his night vision and allowed for very clear distance vision. Today, Brian has almost no correction in his glasses, and he only uses them for up close tasks.

Brian said his experience at the CentraCare Eye Center was striking from the techs before surgery, to the surgery itself, and the after care. When asked what advice Brian would give to others in his position, he said “Have confidence in your ophthalmologist, your ability to recover and the excellent services at CentraCare Eye Center — right here in our community.”