A growing number of people are in need of cataract surgery, both in the U.S. and in the world. Many people automatically assume that only the elderly are prone to getting cataracts, but younger people are starting to get them, especially youth in Africa. Did you know that more that 20 million U.S. citizens around 40 years of age have cataracts? That is a scary statistic, knowing that you are prone to getting a cataract no matter what age you are.
A cataract is a cloudy substance that forms underneath the lens of the eye. It slowly builds in that area over many years, and if left untreated it can cause vision loss. Some cases even cause blindness altogether, which makes cataract surgery a matter of urgency for anyone unfortunate enough to get them
Fifty percent of Americans over 80 have cataracts, which is a statistic that the federal government tries to reduce. Cataract surgery is provided by Medicare, and the government spends over $3.4 billion annually on procedures in the nation.
Cataract surgery, even in Utah, can sometimes get costly. The national average price per procedure is upwards of $3,000, and that’s only for one eye. You can now see why the federal government spends so much, for nearly 3,000,000 people every year have cataract surgery.
Fortunately, cataract surgery has a very high success rate. Statistics show that 98% of all procedures are successful, and less than 1% of patients experience complications after the surgery. Utah in particular has excellent surgery centers with top-notch surgeons. Utah Eye Centers in particular has many years of experience and expertise.