Cataract surgery has a 95% success rate in restoring clear vision. With vast experience and advanced technology, we can ensure a seamless procedure.
A cataract is a clouding of the eye lens; cataract surgery improves vision by replacing the clouded lens with an artificial one. Cataracts affect millions of people in the United States each year. Most cataracts result from aging, though some form from genetic factors, disease, or injury. Cataract surgery is joint and considered safe and effective.
Advance lens implant technology can now restore near, intermediate, and distance vision and correct astigmatism, allowing patients to have freedom from glasses for many activities after cataract surgery.
Cataracts can cause blurry vision and increase the glare from lights. In their early stages, cataracts usually are not troublesome, but surgery to remove them may be required as they thicken. Typically, surgery is needed because cataracts interfere with everyday activities or treat another eye problem.
Cataracts caused by aging develop gradually, and patients may not notice the early vision changes they cause. It is only when their cataracts start interfering with the vision that patients may become aware of them. An ophthalmologic examination will detect cataracts and rule out other causes for vision issues, such as glaucoma or macular degeneration. Patients who become aware of visual difficulties related to cataracts usually experience, especially at night, clouded, blurred, or dim vision.
Cataract surgery‘s benefits are many, greatly enhancing the quality of life. They include the following:
Research indicates that the improved vision provided by cataract surgery reduces the risk of falls, making exercise, sports, and hobbies safer. This, combined with the enhanced ability to read, recognize faces, and perform everyday activities with greater ease, results in improved physical health, increased sociability, and longer life expectancy.
After the pupil is dilated and the area in and around the eye is numbed with anesthesia, a tiny incision is made to insert an ultrasonic probe. The probe emulsifies (breaks up) the cloudy lens into small pieces that are then suctioned out of the eye. Once the cloudy lens has been removed, an artificial lens is implanted.
The new lens, an intraocular lens (IOL), is often inserted through the original incision. Some varieties of IOLs serve multiple purposes, such as blocking ultraviolet light or working as bifocals. Depending on the type of IOL used, sutures may or may not be needed.
Surgery is performed in an outpatient ambulatory surgery facility, takes only 20 to 30 minutes, and is relatively painless. A very high percentage of patients demonstrate improved vision after the procedure.
Although cataract surgery is a common procedure and considered quite safe, any surgery poses risks. In the case of cataract surgery, there is a slightly increased risk of retinal detachment, a painless but dangerous condition. Other risks of cataract surgery include bleeding and infection. The risk of complications after cataract surgery is greater if the patient has another eye disease or serious medical condition. Danger signs of complications after cataract surgery include increased pain in or redness of the eye, light flashes or floaters, diminished vision, nausea, vomiting, or intense coughing.
Immediately after surgery, an eye patch is worn; some doctors advise wearing a protective shield, even when sleeping, for several days. Vision may be blurry at first but improves within a few days. Some itching and discomfort are also present for a few days, but it is important that a patient not rub or exert pressure on the treated eye. Heavy lifting should be avoided. Eye drops to prevent inflammation and infection and control eye pressure are prescribed.
Even though full healing can take up to 2 months, because cataract surgery is performed on one eye at a time, daily activities can be resumed in a few days. Most patients need to wear eyeglasses after surgery for at least some tasks. If the other eye also has a cataract, which is usually the case, the second surgery is scheduled a month or two after the first.