Cataract
A cataract is the clouding of the normally clear lens that sits in the eye behind the pupil.
Common symptoms from cataracts include halos around lights, needing more light to read, reduced clarity of vision and reduction in the brightness of colors. Such symptoms can also be associated with many other eye conditions, so it is important to visit your eye care provider to properly diagnose the cause of your symptoms.
A cataract is when your eye’s natural lens becomes cloudy. Proteins in your lens break down and cause things to look blurry, hazy or less colorful.surgery is the only option for now
- The natural lens of the eye is removed and an implant is placed in its place — insurance covers the most basic type of lens which will allow a person to see clearly at either distance or near and will likely need glasses to supplement for the other at which they cannot see.
- Or we have a premium option which is called a multifocal lens — this implant allows for clear vision at all distance books, computer, and far away 70-80% of the time without need for additional glasses. This option is an additional cost to the patient.
We also have an additional premium option called a toric lens to correct for astigmatism. This option is an additional cost to the patient.
Laser surgery is gentler on the eye and is a more precise method of removing the cataract from the eye than the traditional ultrasound.
This option is an additional cost to the patient.
- Using eye drops for the first month
- Coming in for follow ups the one day, one week, and one month after surgery for check ups
- Very normal for vision to be blurry, or eye to be red or have a small bruise, at first and should quickly get better – others have clear vision right away – depends on how dense the cataract / difficult the surgery was
- Not to lift heavy, bend down, or get water in the eye the first week
As with any surgery there are always risks, most notably infection.
- Warning signs that should bring patient in right away: worsening vision , increasingly red, painful eye
- Anything out of the ordinary should be checked
- No, an individual will only have one cataract per eye which once removed and replaced with an implant cannot regrow
- However very often after cataract surgery there are some cells left over which can create a small film over the implant and cause some hazy vision – this is very common and your doctor will perform a quick and painless in-office laser procedure called a YAG capsulotomy to remove this film and immediately improve the vision
- Results will vary
- Any additional eye pathology present alongside the cataract (for instance macular degeneration) may limit the visual potential after surgery
- This is a conversation with the surgeon before surgery to understand the expectation of cataract surgery in this case
