Procedures
The clouded lens is removed with ultrasound through a small incision and replaced with an intraocular lens. It is the operation Dr. Serrano has performed throughout his career.
What it is
A cataract is the natural lens of the eye turning cloudy with age. It is not a film over the eye and drops cannot clear it. Typical signs are vision that stays blurred with new glasses, glare from headlights at night, colours that look faded, and a prescription that keeps changing.
The treatment is surgery: the cloudy lens is removed with ultrasound through a small incision, a technique called phacoemulsification, and an intraocular lens is placed where it was. It is one of the most frequently performed operations in medicine. The right time is when the cataract interferes with your daily life, not simply when it first appears on an exam.
In 24 seconds
Illustrative schematic, no sound. Only the surgeon decides candidacy, after a full in-clinic evaluation.
A dilated exam confirms the cataract is the cause, and the eye is measured to calculate the lens power. Lens options are explained and chosen before surgery day.
Anaesthetic drops. You are awake, comfortable and go back to your hotel the same day.
Ultrasound breaks up the cloudy lens, it is removed through the small incision, and the folded intraocular lens is placed in the same session. Stitches are usually unnecessary.
Dr. Serrano examines the eye himself the following day. Clearance to fly is given in writing at that visit, never before it.
Shield on the eye, mild scratchiness. Come with a companion.
In-person check. Colours often already look brighter, though vision is still settling.
Drops for several weeks. Avoid lifting, swimming and rubbing the eye. The second eye follows the plan agreed at your evaluation.
Your optometrist at home checks the final prescription and orders any glasses.
Every eye is different. Dr. Serrano goes through the risks that apply to yours at the evaluation, before you decide anything.
A summary to orient you. The evaluation decides, not the table.
| Feature | Lens exchange | LASIK | SMILE | Cataract surgery |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Treats | Presbyopia and high prescriptions | Myopia, hyperopia, astigmatism | Myopia, astigmatism | A clouded natural lens |
| Works on | The lens, replaced | Cornea, under a flap | Cornea, no flap | The lens, replaced |
| Typical age | About 45 and over | 18 to mid-40s | 18 to mid-40s | Usually 60 and over |
| Helps with reading vision | Depends on the lens chosen | No | No | Depends on the lens chosen |
| Cataract later in that eye | No | Still possible | Still possible | No |
| Typical stay in Cabo | Set by your plan | 3 to 4 nights | 3 to 4 nights | Set by your plan |
How it's done
What each technique does, who it's for and what to expect. Anything that doesn't fit here gets answered at your evaluation.
The eye's natural lens is broken up with ultrasound and removed through an incision of a few millimetres that usually needs no stitches. It is today's standard technique for cataract surgery and for lens exchange.
The lens that replaces your natural one is chosen for your prescription and what you want from your vision: distance with reading glasses, or several distances with less dependence on glasses. Dr. Serrano works through it with you at the evaluation.
Frequently asked questions
When it affects your daily life — driving, reading, seeing faces — not simply because it shows up on an exam. Dr. Serrano works through that with you.
Not in that eye: the intraocular lens doesn't cloud. In some cases the capsule behind the lens clouds over time and is treated with a laser in the office.
When the cataract gets in the way of things you need or love to do, such as driving at night, reading or working, and new glasses no longer help. A cataract seen on an exam that does not bother you can be monitored.
Generally no. Medicare does not normally pay for care received outside the United States, and most private plans treat it as out of network at best. Check your own policy. Patients who come to Cabo usually pay directly and receive an itemised receipt.
Sometimes. Whether the eyes are done on consecutive days, a few days apart or on separate trips depends on your eyes and on the plan Dr. Serrano sets. He tells you at the video evaluation, before you book flights, so you know how many nights you need.
After the in-person check and written clearance. Flying itself does not harm a normal cataract operation. The reason to stay is the check-up, not the aeroplane.
Book your evaluation
