Whoopi Goldberg has Custom Lens Replacement Procedure
In March of 2023, people noticed something different about Whoopi Goldberg. The Academy-Award-winning actress and host of the hit show The View was not wearing her notorious circular glasses that she has been wearing for the past 28 years.
During the “Hot Topics” segment of The View, co-host Sunny Hostin pointed out to audience members that Whoopi was not wearing her glasses. She proceeded to ask the actress about the change. Whoopi responded, “I had an operation, and they replaced the lens, and the lens they replaced it with is kind of like my eyeglass lens.” She decided to get this procedure after noticing a drastic change in her eyesight when reading from a prompter during a recent show.
Whoopi reveals that this change of vision was due to “teeny tiny cataracts” on the lens of one of her eyes. This led to a diagnosis of a condition called presbyopia. This is a refractive error that causes far-sightedness in middle-aged and older adults. It occurs when the lens of the eye has difficulty focusing on light correctly on the retina. One who has presbyopia will have trouble reading things up close, experience eyestrain, and sometimes even headaches.
Reading glasses are the most common solution to this issue. Whoopi decided to make a permanent solution to her vision issues. While she did have some clouding of the eye’s natural lens, her procedure was not considered a cataract procedure. Instead, her lens was simply replaced with a bionic lens to correct her refraction problem.
Whoopi has only had one eye treated so far, but she claims to be happy with her results and can notice massive improvements in her vision.
Whoopi Goldberg Suggests Getting Your Eyes Checked!
After discussing her procedure, Whoopi proceeded to convince viewers to go get their eyes checked. She stated, “If you have any issue with your eyes, I don’t know if it works for everybody, but I’m telling you, I’m sitting here able to read this.”
She also mentions how “the bionic times have arrived” and that many people aren’t even aware that this procedure will be covered by insurance. Therefore, the only thing patients will need to pay for is the lens.
About Refractive Eye Procedures
When asked if her procedure hurt, Whoopi responded that she felt no pain whatsoever.
Many patients are nervous about getting a clear lens replacement. One reason is that they worry about the pain or discomfort that comes with it. However, the great thing about these procedures is that most patients will describe them as painless. It can take as little as 15 minutes.
First, patients are given a numbing anesthetic injection or pill to numb any pain or discomfort in the eyes. Since this procedure is so quick and painless, no general anesthesia is required.
Once you are numb, your doctor will make a small incision into your eye to remove your natural lens and replace it with a new one. Your eye will be protected with a plastic shield post-procedure to prevent any damage to the new lens.
After the procedure, you will be sent home right away. You can resume most of your everyday tasks and activities. After the procedure, you will be able to return home the same day. You can resume most of your normal everyday tasks and activities. However, it’s recommended to wait before engaging in strenuous physical activity. Your doctor will give you more specific post-operative instructions to follow.
You will notice vision changes from the procedure fairly quickly. Some initial minor side effects include blurred vision, the appearance of halos over lights, and a bit of discomfort. This should go away within a few days to a few weeks.
If you are considering a lens replacement procedure for your eyes, it’s important to determine if you are a candidate with your eye doctor. The standard requirements are that patients must be 21 and over, have no history of eye disease, and have no abnormal vision changes six months before the procedure.
Receive Specialty Eye Care Today at Cleveland Eye Clinic
If you’re looking for high-quality eye care, our ophthalmologists and optometrists at Cleveland Eye Clinic are here for you. Our licensed medical professionals have been dedicated to providing the utmost care to each and every one of our patients.
Whether you’re looking to receive a general eye exam or are thinking about a procedure for your cataracts or LASIK, we will help you every step of the way.
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