Learn About Our Cataract Surgery
When your doctor tells you that you have a cataract and it should be removed, it may be frightening to consider. But, once you understand what a cataract is, how it will be removed, and the life-changing benefits cataract surgery can bring, you'll likely wish you'd had the procedure sooner. A cataract can progress until eventually there is a complete loss of vision in your eye, and neither diet nor laser treatment will make a cataract go away. However, cataract surgery can help restore your vision, long before you experience loss of vision significant enough to interfere with your daily activities.
Cataract surgery is one of the safest, most effective types of surgery. It's also one of the most successful. After you and your eye doctor have decided that you will have cataract surgery, your doctor will measure your eye to determine the proper power of the IOL.
Wondering what an IOL might be?
Intraocular lens (IOL): An artificial lens that is implanted in the eye to replace the eye's clouded crystalline lens during cataract surgery.
Your doctor will then work with you to decide which IOL is best for your visual needs. There are two basic types of IOLs (Monofocal and Multifocal), each designed for a specific corrective function.
Monofocal IOL: An intraocular lens that provides patients with only one focal point. Most commonly, these lenses correct only for distance vision. Monofocal lenses provide corrective power in only one segment of your visual range (typically distance vision), while multifocal lenses are designed to correct a range of vision near through distance. You may be a candidate for the AcrySof ReSTOR IOL, which is an advanced type of multifocal IOL. Ask your doctor if the AcrySof ReSTOR IOL is right for you.
The Procedure
Cataract surgery is an outpatient procedure that will only take a few hours. When you arrive, your eyes may be treated with eye drops and anesthetic to minimize any discomfort during the operation.
During this routine operation, a small incision is made in the eye. Your surgeon will use a tiny instrument (about the size of a pen tip) to remove your clouded lens. This can be done with either an AquaLase* device, which uses gentle pulses of fluid to wash away your cloudy lens, or an ultrasonic instrument that breaks up and gently removes your cloudy lens (called phacoemulsification
Phacoemulsification: Also called "phaco," this cataract surgery procedure involves using a device with a vibrating, ultrasonic tip to gently break up the cataract and remove it from the eye.
Once this is accomplished, your surgeon will insert an artificial intraocular lens (IOL) into your eye.
Are you interested in learning more about offerred surgery? Click here and view a presentation.