JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — What if your eyesight could be altered with light?
A new procedure is now being used on the First Coast to help people after they have the most "prevalent" surgery of all medical fields, according to the National Library of Medicine.
That procedure is to treat cataracts. About half of all Americans have cataracts by age 75, according to the American Academy of Ophthalmology. The new procedure replaces the eye's cloudy lens with a lens that can be adjusted with ultraviolet light to make vision more precise.
"We can take the technology that was already very, very precise and very accurate and then even improve it even more," said Dr. Amit Chokshi, ophthalmologist at Florida Eye Specialists. "Anytime we can offer that to our patients, everyone gets very excited. And in a very non-invasive, easy way, we can change someone's life."
Chokshi says the procedure only takes two to three minutes in about three separate sessions. Their first patient went through the procedure at their office last month.
"Then, their prescription stays with them the rest of their life," Chokshi said.
He says their 13 surgeons already do up to 15 cataract cases a week.
One person going through the procedure is George Wilson. He says he's been wearing special sunglasses to filter out UV light for about six weeks until his final procedure is done.
"It's a little inconvenient for a couple of months, maybe," Wilson said. "Maybe a little less than a couple of months, but it's well worth it in the long run."
Chokshi says people who have cataracts are generally good candidates for the procedure. Learn more about cataracts here.