Cataract Surgery
About
Welcome to the Evans Army Community Hospital cataract surgery website! We are very excited to help with your cataract surgery. We are here to guide you through this process and give the best education and care at no cost to you. Please review the materials here to learn if cataract surgery is right for you.
A cataract is a condition in which the lens of the eye can becomes cloudy and hard. Cataracts can develop from a variety of things, typically from aging, an eye injury or surgery, or if you have taken certain medications. Cataracts may cause blurred vision, dulled vision, sensitivity to light and glare, and/or ghost images.
When the cataract changes vision so much that it interferes with your daily life, the cataract may need to be removed. Surgery is the only way to remove a cataract. Cataract surgery is one of the most commonly performed procedures in the world. You can decide not to have the cataract removed. If you don’t have the surgery, your vision loss from the cataract will gradually decline over time but can be removed in the future.
The goal of cataract surgery is to correct the decreased vision that is caused by the cataract. During the surgery, the surgeon removes the cataract and puts in a new, artificial lens called an intraocular lens or IOL. The IOL will remain in the eye permanently. Cataract surgery will not correct other causes of decreased vision, such as glaucoma, diabetes, or age-related macular degeneration.
There are several IOL options available to you to achieve good vision after cataract surgery. This is probably the most important decision you need to make about your cataract surgery. Similar to a community doctor’s office, at Evans Army Community Hospital, we offer an extremely wide selection of lenses correcting for near vision, far vision and blurriness caused by astigmatism, but currently at no cost to Tricare beneficiaries. Depending on your needs and the health of the eye, we can help you choose which type of lens can help improve your vision and, in many situations, decrease your need for glasses!
Who Can Be Seen Here
- Active Duty Military
- TRICARE Prime and Select
- Availability may be limited
- See additional details in "Getting Care" section below
Cataract Surgery Information Videos:
Getting Care - New Patients – We Want To See You!
If you have not been evaluated or treated at this clinic within the last 12 months, a new referral is required by your Primary Care Manager (PCM) or other authorized provider (ie optometrist).
Your referral will be reviewed for appropriateness at Fort Carson Ophthalmology, the Air Force Academy or with a network provider off-base. If our clinic is selected for care, the Access to Care Line will make three attempts to book your initial evaluation. If you do not hear from the Access to Care Line, call them at 719-524-2273, Option 1 to inquire about the status of your referral.
Visit
www.TRICARE-west.com to access your network provider referral authorization. If no referral authorization is visible, contact the Access to Care Line or
EACH Referral Management to determine whether your referral is still in-progress.
Getting Care – Established Patients – We Want To See You!
If you have an active referral to or have been seen by EACH Ophthalmology Clinic within the last 12 months, contact our clinic using the following:
- Call the Direct line at 719-526-7450 (EACH Ophthalmology Front Desk)
- Call the Access to Care Line at 719-524-2273, Option 1