Cataract Specialist vs. General Ophthalmologist

The terminology used to describe cataract surgeons can be a little confusing. Ophthalmologist, cataract specialist, eye doctor… Many people assume that they all offer the same services—but this isn’t the case.

So, it’s time to put the record straight.

Ophthalmologist vs. Cataract Specialist (and the oft-used term of “eye doctor”)

Let’s get the latter, non-specific, term out of the way first. An eye doctor is not an official title. It’s one that’s used interchangeably by the general public to describe anyone who has any kind of clinical role within eye care. This can range from an optometrist, who is not a medical doctor, to a cataract specialist, who has undertaken many years of training and can treat and perform surgery on the most complex and challenging cataract cases.

Once we’ve put that one aside, it leaves us with the two types of medically qualified eye consultants who are trained and qualified to perform cataract surgery. These are a general ophthalmologist and a cataract specialist.

What a general ophthalmologist can do

An ophthalmologist is a medical doctor who has undergone training to specialize in eye health. It takes many years of study and practical experience to achieve, starting with a four-year undergraduate degree. This is followed by a further four years at medical school, an internship, and a minimum of three years ophthalmology residence. 

This takes anywhere from 12-14 years, after which time the doctor is trained in all elements of eye care and can perform certain surgical procedures, including straightforward cataract surgery. You can think of them in the same vein as a family or primary care physician—with an overarching knowledge of everything and anything to do with the health of the eye. They might be diagnosing glaucoma one minute, dealing with a traumatic eye injury the next, before prepping and performing a non-complex cataract removal.

In other words, an ophthalmologist is a fully trained and qualified medical doctor who has specialized in the all-round health of the eye.

What a cataract specialist can do

A cataract specialist is also an ophthalmologist, so has undergone the same professional career route. However, they then take further training in a subspecialty—in this case, cataract care. To do this, they need to complete a fellowship, which adds another couple of years to the training and qualification pathway.

It’s this that provides the knowledge needed to not only treat more complex cataracts, but also to have access to and become highly proficient in the use of the constantly evolving, cutting-edge technology of advanced cataract procedures. This includes the latest premium intraocular lenses (IOLs), as well as treating less “run-of-the-mill” cataracts, such as traumatic, pediatric, and those associated with certain diseases and illnesses.

The Benefits of a Cataract Specialist

There are many benefits of choosing a cataract specialist. Even if your diagnosis is straightforward and within the scope of a general ophthalmologist, there are many reasons you might prefer the services of such a highly trained individual.

As in all fields, a person who deals almost solely in a single condition will always have incredibly detailed knowledge and finely honed skills—that’s the very definition of the word, specialist. 

For you, the patient, this means:

• Increased surgical volume: A cataract specialist is likely to perform upwards of 20 or 30 procedures each week. This allows them to serve far more patients than a general ophthalmologist, who may only dedicate a day or two (or perhaps a couple of weekends) per month to this service.
• Has earlier access to cutting-edge techniques: The world of cataract surgery is advancing at almost breakneck speed. The last decade has seen incredible leaps forward, from traditional procedures to laser-assisted—a process that offers extreme accuracy and is necessary to fit premium IOLs. This will only continue to accelerate in the upcoming years. From AI and robotic intervention to increasingly less invasive methods, which are safer and gentler on the eye and surrounding tissues, progressive options are always initially rolled out through specialist cataract surgeons. These advances often take many years to filter through to general ophthalmologists, meaning that you’ll need to see a specialist if you want to take advantage.
• Can offer a wider choice of intraocular lenses: Lenses are another area where technology is revolutionizing choice. From trifocal IOLs that can genuinely lead to a life without eyeglasses or contact lenses to those that correct astigmatism, ones that use the eye’s natural muscles to change focus, and even light-adjustable lenses that can have the prescription tweaked while in the eye, cataract specialists are always, once again, the first surgeons able to offer them.
• Lower rate of surgical complications: Thanks to the volume of operations performed, those carried out by a cataract specialist come with a lower risk of complications. Although this is small, it’s still significant and has been proven in various studies, including this one published by the American Government’s National Library of Medicine. This makes perfect sense, because—as with any skill—the more you do, the more proficient you become.
• Higher patient satisfaction: There are many reasons for this. One is down to the already-discussed advanced surgical methods used. Another is that they have intimate knowledge of a vast array of IOLs, meaning they can not only offer more choice, but will have extensive experience of knowing which will best suit each patient. This becomes even more important in those with co-existing health conditions (such as glaucoma, diabetes, uveitis, cardiovascular conditions, etc.), or complex eye geometry (caused by trauma, previous eye surgery—including laser vision correction—weak zonules, a high prescription, a small pupil, astigmatism, etc.).
• Can treat different types of cataracts: As well as being able to operate on more complex cases, cataract specialists are likely to be able to treat rarer types of the condition. Age-related cataracts are the kind that pretty much everyone gets if they’re fortunate enough to celebrate enough birthdays. But they’re certainly not the only ones. Pediatric cataracts, also known as congenital or genetic, require a specialist. Early onset, traumatic, and those with medical conditions that affect the eye will also need such care. 

The key takeaway is that a general ophthalmologist can perform straightforward cataract surgery, usually offering a monofocal IOL that needs to be complemented with eyeglasses for either near or far focus (most usually for close-up work). A cataract specialist has far more tools at their disposal. This includes cutting-edge procedures, a wide choice of IOLs, and extensive experience in more complex surgical procedures.

Even if your cataracts are straightforward, you may want to consider exploring the services of a cataract specialist, especially if you’re keen to take advantage of lens choice and advancing surgical procedures.