You have a cataract? The best time to treat her is right now!

You have a cataract and you are considering surgical removal? Do not postpone treatment until later. There is no need to queue for cataract surgery and now is the best time to treat cataracts!

Cataract – a disease that takes away your eyesight, and often also excludes you from social and social life. It limits independence, increases the risk of accidents and injuries. It can develop in anyone, and is especially common in people over 60 years of age.

Do you have problems with vision at night, you can see halos around the light, often see through the foggy glass? These could be signs of a cataract. See a doctor as soon as possible, who will direct your treatment and most likely refer you to surgery, which is the only treatment for this disease.

Cataract surgery with virtually no queue? Exactly!

After the pandemic, we have a lot of people who gave up the procedure or were not diagnosed due to problems with diagnostics. The statistics speak for themselves – the NFZ data shows that there has been a significant decrease in the number of visits by people diagnosed / suspected of cataracts to POZ clinics – in 2019 there were 194, and in 369 by about 2020%. less – 33 130.

Moreover, the number of procedures performed also decreased. The lower number of procedures is a consequence of both the poorer accessibility caused by the limited number of procedures in institutions, as well as the patients’ fear of inpatient treatment, as well as significantly limited access to primary care.

The number of cataract surgery reimbursed by the National Health Fund decreased by about 2020 percent in 35. compared to 2019 (233 vs 355), and in 2021 a total of 270 were performed, which only slightly exceeds the number of procedures performed in 2020, and it must be remembered that in 2020 scheduled procedures, including Cataract surgery was completely on hold for almost two months. And although there is no need to wait in line for cataract surgery now, considering how many patients in the peri-pandemic period have not been operated on or even diagnosed, it can be expected that the queues will return soon. That is why it is worth taking advantage of this option now – the average queue for all voivodships is currently 79 days, in most voivodships the waiting time does not exceed two months, and there are also those where waiting only a dozen or so days. It is worth finding out about the available dates in specific centers or on the website terminyleczenia.nfz.gov.pl

Meanwhile, untreated, developing cataracts systematically reduce the quality of vision and life of thousands of Poles, consequently leading to the professional and social exclusion of those affected. It is worth operating cataracts as soon as possible – delaying cataracts may even increase the risk of postoperative complications. Do not postpone the procedure, also for fear of COVID-19 – procedures are currently in force in hospitals, they ensure a very high standard of safety.

Cataract surgery – is there anything to fear?

Cataract surgery involves removing the cloudy lens of the eye and replacing it with a monofocal artificial intraocular lens. If you decide to undergo a private procedure, you can choose a different lens, the so-called premium intraocular lens. Such a choice opens the possibility of discussing the needs and expectations with the doctor, and although the choice of the appropriate lens is made by the specialist – he has a wider range to choose from before presenting the recommendation.

There are many types of lenses on the market that not only remove cataracts, but also reduce farsightedness, myopia, presbyopia and astigmatism. This means that one operation allows you to get rid of not only cataracts, but also vision defects, and gives you a chance to completely get rid of glasses.

Cataract surgery is currently the most frequently performed procedure in the world – approximately 10 million operations of this type are performed annually. [1] Thanks to the dynamic development of technology and ophthalmology, the procedure is very safe and associated with a low risk of complications. It is carried out in about 15-20 minutes, under local anesthesia, in the mode of one-day surgery – this means that the patient on the same day, if the procedure proceeds without complications, can already leave the hospital.

Step-by-step diagnosis and treatment of cataracts

The first step, of course after a cataract diagnosis, is to receive a referral for treatment. If you want to treat cataracts for free at the National Health Fund, go to your family doctor for a referral to an ophthalmology clinic. Remember that a referral for cataract surgery to the National Health Fund may also be issued by an ophthalmologist in a private practice. You can operate cataracts in a public hospital or in a private facility that has a contract with the National Health Fund. However, when you want to have cataract surgery privately, make an appointment directly with your chosen private ophthalmology center.

When deciding to undergo the procedure “on the National Health Fund” one should remember that in such cases single vision lenses are implanted as standard, which allow for clear vision only at one distance (near or far). For people with corneal astigmatism equal to or greater than two diopters, they are only eligible for single vision toric lenses. Moreover, free surgery is available only to patients who meet the criteria of a specific visual acuity.

In the case of paid cataract surgery, the patient has an influence on the choice of the intraocular lens. Private surgery allows the use of trifocal lenses and lenses with an extended focal length, which reduce or eliminate the need for glasses after surgery. On the other hand, toric lenses are available without the limitations of the size of astigmatism. The operation can be performed without restrictions at a time when cataracts have a negative impact on the quality of life.

How to find the fastest appointment with an ophthalmologist in an ophthalmological clinic with a contract for the National Health Fund?

1. Go to the website terminyleczenia.nfz.gov.pl
2. Make sure that the “stable” option is selected in the “case” field
3. In the “What service are you looking for” field, select from the list “OPHTHALISTIC COUNSELING”
4. Then choose the right province and city for you 
5. Select «SEARCH»
6. Call us and make an appointment!