Cataract Surgery
Cataracts are the leading cause of visual loss in adults 55 and over. A cataract is a clouding of the natural lens inside your eye. This lens, located behind the iris, works much like the lens of a camera - focusing light on the retina, which sends images to the brain. The human lens can become so clouded it prevents light and clear images from reaching the retina and the brain.
A cataract can be the reason sharp objects become blurred, bright colors become dull, or seeing at night is more difficult. It may also be why reading glasses or bifocals that used to help you no longer seem to be effective. Vision with cataracts has been described as seeing life through old, cloudy film.
But a cataract is not a ‘film’ over the eye, and neither diet nor lasers will make it go away. Nor can it be prevented. Eye injury, certain diseases, or even some medications can cause clouding, but the majority of cataracts are a simple result of the natural aging process.
Treatment for Cataracts
Once a cataract has been diagnosed, there are usually three alternatives available. One is to do nothing, since a cataract is not a disease and can be left alone. The second alternative would be to attempt to improve vision through the use of different glasses. Sometimes this works well, sometimes it doesn’t. The third option is to remove the cataract through cataract surgery. This surgery removes the old, clouded lens and replaces it with a new, artificial one to restore your vision, and in many ways, significantly improve the quality of life.
Each patient must be evaluated on an individual basis to determine which option is best for that particular person.
Cataract Surgery
Cataract removal has improved dramatically over the last many years. The operation entails making a tiny incision in the eye and inserting an instrument about the size of a Q-tip to break up and remove the cloudy lens. This process is called Phacoemulsification, or Phaco.
Phaco Surgery
What phaco does is break up the cataract into a ‘million little pieces’, while simultaneously suctioning them out. Phaco is a powerful, yet delicate tool to the cataract surgeon. After the natural lens is removed from the eye, it is replaced with an intraocular lens (IOL), an artificial lens that can allow patients to see well at all distances with a reduced or eliminated dependence on glasses, bifocals or reading glasses.
The correct lens for you will depend on your eyes and your desire to be glasses-free. Our doctors and staff will review your options with you, and will explain what you can expect from each one. No single lens works best for everyone, and only your eye care professional can determine the most appropriate option for you.
What to Expect Before and After Surgery
Most people are surprised to find out just how easy and pain-free cataract surgery is. It usually takes 10 minutes or less and most patients are back to their normal activities the very next day. The following facts will help you prepare for surgery:
- An anesthetic will be given to numb the nerves in and/or around your eye.
- Before and after surgery your doctor may prescribe eye drops to help prevent infection and reduce swelling.
- Most patients have improved vision soon after surgery, but your sight may continue to improve for several days or weeks.
- Your activities after surgery for the most part will not be limited. We might ask you to hold off driving for a day or two, but other than that you can go on about your business.
Results
Cataracts can dramatically affect everything you see and do. But they don’t have to. With a short, sophisticated procedure, you can lift the fog and get back to seeing what you love. Colors can appear rich and vibrant, and everything you look at can be in clear focus.
Once a cataract has been removed, it cannot return. Remember, a cataract is not a scum or film…it is a loss of clearness of the natural lens inside your eye. Therefore, a cataract lens can’t focus properly. Once it is removed, the cataract is gone. Unlike a bad penny, it can’t show up again.
Choosing a Surgeon
Only ophthalmologists who have had special training in eye surgery can perform cataract surgery. David M. Dillman, M.D. is a Mayo Clinic trained eye surgeon. He has been performing cataract surgery since 1980 and has performed over 20,000 cataract procedures.
Vision Before and After Cataract Surgery
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