Do you think you need cataract surgery? If you do, consider yourself lucky! There has never been a better time to have cataract surgery because of all the vision improvement options available.
Just a few years ago, people who had cataract surgery had to settle for either distance or near vision, but not both. Now, a new generation of artificial lenses allows patients to see BOTH at distance and at near, often without the need for eyeglasses! These improved lenses are available for an additional fee (usually not covered by your insurance), and can virtually eliminate the need for reading glasses after cataract surgery. For more information on these lenses, click on the links below:
The ReSTOR® (www.acrysofrestor.com),
The Tecnis MultiFocal® (www.tecnismultifocal.com)
The ReZoom™ (www.rezoom.com) and
The Crystalens® (www.crystalens.com)
Cataract surgery is a common surgical procedure that replaces the cloudy lens in your eye with a crystal clear artificial lens. Before cataract surgery, your eye has a clear lens through which light passes, allowing you to see. When the clear lens loses its transparency, the cloudy tissue that develops is known as a cataract. Surgery is the only way to correct this condition, and improve your vision at the same time.
Cataracts cause progressive, painless loss of vision. The lens clouds naturally as we age, so people over the age of 65 usually see a gradual reduction of vision. No one is exactly sure what causes cataracts. In younger people they can result from an injury, certain medications, or illnesses such as diabetes. Prolonged exposure to ultraviolet light may also play a role in the formation of cataracts. Studies have also shown that people who smoke cigarettes have a higher risk of developing cataracts than non-smokers.
Although cataracts usually develop without apparent pain, some indications that a cataract may be forming are:
|
|
If you are having trouble reading, working, or doing the things you enjoy, then you will want to consider seeing your eye doctor to measure your cataracts. Surgery is the only proven means of effectively treating cataracts. Cataract surgery is relatively painless and is one of the most frequently performed procedures. It has a very high success rate and more than 90 percent of cataract surgery patients regain useful vision.
Cataract Surgery
We perform a minimally invasive, no-stitch cataract surgery called phacoemulsification ("phaco") surgery. First, the eye is numbed with anesthesia. Then a tiny incision is made in the eye to make room for a small ultrasonic probe. This probe breaks up, or emulsifies, the cloudy lens into tiny pieces.
After the cloudy lens has been removed, a new artificial lens is implanted in the eye. With the recent advance of foldable IOLs (intraocular lenses), artificial lenses can be implanted through the same small incision from the phaco procedure.
