Eye Conditions:
Cataracts
A cataract is the clouding of the natural
lens in the eye resulting in a decrease in your vision.
The lens is behind the colored part of your eye (iris) and it
is about the size of your pinky nail and shaped like a magnifying
glass lens. Until your 40's, this lens is what allowed you to
adjust your sight from distances to up close without reading glasses
or bifocals. As you age it gradually thickens first losing its
adjusting power then clouding over in your later years. Sun exposure may speed the process as well.
Everyone develops cataracts if they live
long enough. Diabetes, an injury to an eye, glaucoma, certain
medications and a few rare inherited problems may cause cataracts
to form earlier than in your 60's or 70's which is the typical
age for cataracts to appear. On rare occasions a child is born
with a cataract. The treatment of visually significant cataracts
is the same for all cases, however. The surgical removal of your
natural lens and its replacement with a plastic lens implant.
When should a person consider surgery
and what is a visually significant cataract? It is time
to consider surgery when your best vision with glasses is reduced
to a level where the activities of your daily life are significantly
affected. For example, you can no longer drive legally due to
glare or read comfortably without a very bright light. Early on
in the development of a cataract adjusting your glasses prescription
may help to improve your vision. Eventually new glasses will no
longer help and surgery would be your only option to improve your
vision.
Cataract surgery is one of the most frequently
performed of all surgeries and boasts one of the highest success
rates. It is performed on an outpatient
basis in an operating room under sterile conditions. Local
anesthesia is used except in rare instances, so you are awake
during the surgery which is typically pain
free. Contrary to popular belief, cataract surgery is NOT
done with a laser. Our surgery is done with the latest microsurgical
techniques such as ultrasound (phacoemulsification) and other
techniques which break up the cataract into small pieces so the
removal can be performed through a small opening into your eye.
This helps speed healing with a return to good vision and your
ability to perform your normal daily activities.
After the surgery you can not touch or rub your eye for at least
a month and you should not bend over at the waist for a week.
You will need to use eye drops to prevent infection and scarring
for a few weeks. Depending on your glasses prescription before
surgery and the vision in your other eye, you may be able to drive
safely in a few days after surgery or you may have to wait up
to a few weeks. The recovery process is typically pain free, however
occasionally you may feel like your eye is dry or that there is
an eyelash in it. Most people need to continue to wear glasses
after surgery because the implants do not correct for astigmatism
nor is there a bifocal built into the new lens.
There are risks with cataract surgery as with any operation.
There is a small but real risk of infection, retinal detachment
or scarring which could permanently reduce your vision. Other
risks include the dislocation of the lens implant, the development
of glaucoma (pressure in the eye), bleeding and clouding of the
surface layer of the eye (cornea). This list is incomplete and
at the time of your surgery your surgeon will discuss the risks
which would apply to your particular situation. Drs.
Garfinkle and Scott have each performed thousands of cataract
surgeries and have more than 15 years experience with the most
modern techniques.
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