Advanced Cataract Surgery
The progression of a cataract.
What is a Cataract?
The word cataract is used to describe a natural lens that has turned cloudy. Cataracts are not a disease, but rather a condition affecting the eye. As the natural lens of the eye becomes cloudy, it does not allow light to pass through it as well as it did when it was transparent. Cataracts usually start as a slight cloudiness that progressively grows more opaque. As the cataract becomes more mature (increasingly opaque and dense), the retina receives less and less light. The light that does reach the retina becomes increasingly blurred and distorted. This causes gradual impairment of vision. If left untreated, cataracts can cause needless blindness. A cataract can only be removed by surgery. Cataract surgery is one of the most common operations performed, usually with excellent results. Nearly 3 million people undergo cataract surgery every year. Generally, cataracts are removed on an outpatient basis, unless admission to the hospital is medically necessary.
What are the Symptoms of a Cataract?
• A gradual deterioration in vision over time
• Objects may appear yellow, hazy, blurred or distorted
• Vision at night or in low light conditions may be dramatically reduced
• Vision in bright light or in the sunshine may be difficult due to glare
• Halos may appear around bright lights at night
Cataract Surgery
Not so long ago, cataract surgery involved lengthy delays marked by deteriorating vision while the cataract "ripened". An extended and confining recovery period was required, and there was a need for unsightly "cataract" glasses or contact lenses to achieve functional vision after surgery. Now, cataract surgery is a virtually pain-free experience thanks to advances in anesthesia. Patients are awake during the surgery and are able to resume normal activities shortly afterwards. According to a survey conducted by the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery, more than 98% of cataract patients had their vision successfully improved after surgery. Many patients experience vision that is actually better than before they developed cataracts. The cataract will be removed with an advanced technique called phacoemulsification, or small-incision cataract surgery. After applying a local anesthetic, a three millimeter incision is made in the front part of the eye. The cataract is then broken into microscopic particles using high energy sound waves and gently aspirated from the eye. Then, to compensate for the removal of the eye’s natural lens, an intra-ocular lens (IOL) is implanted in the eye. This type of incision is self-healing and remains tightly sealed by the natural outward pressure within your eye. Once removed, cataracts will not grow back.
See Clearly – Near, Intermediate and Far
The latest advance in cataract surgery involves a new specialty lens, as opposed to using a traditional IOL. It is considered a breakthrough treatment option. This new lens, which is made from the same material as a traditional intraocular lens, uses a patented technology for collecting and distributing light. The result is a lens which, like the natural human lens, allows the patient to see at all distances. Lenses such as ReSTOR, ReZoom, and Crystalens are among those designated to provide patients with a full range of vision so that you may see objects at far, near, or intermediate distances, often without the need for glasses. The goal of cataract surgery has changed from restoring distance vision to providing a full range of vision with little or no use of reading glasses or bifocals. The surgery has not changed, just the lens technology. Your doctor will provide you with detailed information during your examination to help you decide what type of lens is right for you.
Clinical trials have proven:
*In a recent clinical trial, 80% of cataract patients (with or without presbyopia) with the specialty lens implant could see clearly without the aid of glasses or bifocals following implantation in both eyes, for activities such as reading and driving.