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What is a Cataract?
People with progressed cataracts often describe the sensation as looking through a piece of wax paper. A cataract may make light from the sun or a lamp seem too bright, causing glare. Colors may not appear as bright as they once did, however, most cataracts develop so slowly that people usually don’t realize that their color vision has markedly deteriorated. Oncoming headlights may cause uncomfortable glare at night, making driving more difficult. There is a myth that cataracts have to “ripen’, before they can be removed. This was true before about 1930, when the surgical technique to remove cataracts was quite primitive and the surgical outcome was essentially awful, even in uncomplicated cases. Patients essentially had to be blind from their cataract before surgery, so they could appreciate the poor vision that their very thick glasses provided afterward. These days, when the average cataract patient usually sees better after surgery than his peers who may have minimal cataract, we wait until the patient finds that the cataract is interfering in his lifestyle. Patients have cataract surgery because they are having difficulty seeing the golf ball, or reading the financial pages, or have difficulty driving at night. The most common response on the day after surgery is, “When can I have the other eye done?” followed by “Why did I wait so long?”.
Causes of Cataracts
Symptoms
Cataract SurgeryUsing the most up to date methods and instrumentation, cataract surgery is typically performed using a small incision phacoemulsification technique. This means that the cataract surgery is accomplished using the smallest possible incision, and removal of the lens material is accomplished using an ultrasonic needle.
There is a common misconception that cataract surgery is done using a laser. This is not the case, and has never been the case. The use of laser energy produces too much heat to be adapted for this purpose, and would cause irreversible damage to the delicate tissues inside the eye. Following proper dilation of the pupil and preparation of the surgical area using betadine or other cleansers, a topical anesthetic is administered to the surface of the eye. An incision of 2.5 to 3 millimeters in length is then created at the junction of the cornea (the clear domed structure on the front of the eye) and the sclera (the white part of the eye). Another dose of anesthetic is then administered inside the eye through this incision. The front part of the lens envelope, know as the lens capsule, is carefully opened so that the lens material can be removed. This is accomplished using a needle-like ultrasonic device, which pulverizes the hardened and yellowed lens proteins. The pulverized material is simultaneously vacuumed from the eye. Once all of the cataract material has been removed, and assuming that the lens capsule which was opened at the beginning of the surgery remains strong enough to support the lens implant, a folded intraocular lens specifically chosen by the surgeon to suit your individual needs is then inserted through the original incision and maneuvered into the lens capsule and then centered. The lens will remain inside your eye in this location without moving. Intraocular lenses cannot be felt or sensed in any way by the patient. In most cases, once the lens is centered within the lens capsule, the instruments are removed, and the surgery is therefore complete. Under most normal circumstances stitches (or sutures) are not required to keep the incision sealed. Should the incision require a suture to be placed for proper sealing, this suture is generally removed within the first week following surgery. Recovery from surgery is generally very quick, with most patients achieving noticeably better vision within the first 24 hours of the procedure. Patients are generally asked to use two different eye medications, administered as drops several times daily for the first few weeks after surgery. It is important that during the first 7 post-operative days patients refrain from strenuous activity such as lifting weights for exercise or lifting other heavy objects. Patients should also refrain from eye rubbing during the first few weeks following surgery. If glasses are required following surgery to achieve the best possible vision either for close up work such as reading, or for distance purposes, these will be prescribed three to four weeks after surgery when full recovery is expected. If both eyes are scheduled to have surgery within a few weeks of each other, then glasses, if needed, will be prescribed following full recovery of the second eye. Intraocular Lens OptionsComparison Chart
Crystalens® by EYEONICS®
How Does crystalens® Work
The resource is not intended and should not be construed as medical advice, nor is it intended to replace sound clinical judgment in the delivery of health care services. All medical and clinical data contained herein is intended to supplement the knowledge physicians and other health care professionals involved in patient care. The absence of a warning for a given procedure, technique or suggestion contained in the resource should not be construed to indicate that such procedure, technique or suggestion is safe, appropriate or effective in any given patients. www.crystalens.com Restor™LensFDA Clinical Trials Show 80% of Patients Are Spectacle FREE after surgery. The AcrySof ReSTOR lens is a foldable IOL that represents breakthrough technology because of its unique, patented optic design, which allows patients to experience the highest level of freedom from glasses ever achieved in IOL clinical trials. The AcrySof ReSTOR IOL uses a combination of three complementary technologies: apodization, diffraction and refraction, to allow patients to experience a full range of high-quality vision without the need for reading glasses or bifocals. This range of vision without glasses is achieved through the optical properties of the IOL. The benefit for patients is a high level of spectacle freedom. Alcon has patented the application of apodization technology to an IOL, making the AcrySof ReSTOR lens the first and only apodized diffractive IOL. Visit www.acrysofrestor.com to learn more about ReSTOR®During U.S. clinical trials, the results with ReSTOR were remarkable:
The AcrySof® Toric IOL The AcrySof® Toric intraocular lens (IOL) has the ability to reduce or eliminate corneal astigmatism at the same time it corrects cataracts. The result is typically improved distance vision, and less dependence on spectacles. However, most patients still need corrective lenses for near and intermediate tasks. The AcrySof® Toric lens also filters out harmful ultraviolet and blue light. With the AcrySof® Toric lens, your distance vision can be clear and vibrant, giving you the power to see your best. ReZoom™Lens
Benefits For The Patient - The surgical period requires only local anesthesia Visit www.rezoomiol.com to learn more about ReZoom™ |
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