Archived Cataract Surgery Articles
Preventing Your Cataracts
What gives nowadays? All these young baby boomers in their 50’s and early 60’s developing cataracts. When they hear the diagnosis for their blurred vision and glare is cataracts, the automatic response is: ‘aren’t those things supposed to occur when I reach well into my 70’s or 80’s like with my parents.’ Well, each generation is presented with its unique challenges. So what is at the root to this new precedence? One reason is overexposure to the ultraviolet rays of the sun. We just love being out in the sun. And just like too much sun makes our skin tan and burn, too much sun exposure makes the lens of the eye yellow and cloudy leading to cataract formation. The other prominent reason is conditions associated with early cataract formation such as diabetes are on the rise. This health trend results from poor nutrition as processed foods are increasingly available and from us not eating enough servings of fruits and vegetables. With the above knowledge, one can develop an ideal strategy for cataract prevention. One sound approach entails wearing UV blocking polarized sunglasses or eyeglasses with a UV blocking coating when outdoors. Next, we can improve our health by increasing our daily physical activity and our consumption of high antioxidant foods such as pomegranates, blueberries, and acai berry based juices. Anyone over 45 with a family history of cataracts is also advised for an annual eye exam to detect for evidence of early cataract formation. For other strategies to better eye health and preventing common eye conditions, please visit www.robinsoneyecenter.com . We pride our practice on being leaders in the integrative ophthalmology approach where the patient plays a role in their eye care.
The Great Lens Debate
In many of life’s debates we often find a grey zone where there is no evident right or wrong answer for everyone but just which solution works best for each individual. One such circumstance involves selecting which type of lens implant should replace the cloudy lens that is removed during cataract surgery. The choice comes down to selecting a monofocal lens versus a multifocal lens. A monofocal lens is designed to give you focus at one distance, most commonly far or near. A multifocal lens is designed to give you a combination of far, intermediate, and near vision. The advantage to monofocal lenses is that they have a long record of good success and they tend to produce less problems with contrast sensitivity – the ability to distinguish objects or colors in a background. The disadvantage with monofocal lenses is that the recipient person will have some dependence of glasses. For example, a person with a monofocal distance lens will need a pair of reading glasses when reading the newspaper. Popular monofocal lenses include the Alcon Acrysof Natural IQ and the Bausch and Lomb SoftPort Lens. The advantage of multifocal lenses is that they give a person less dependence on glasses because they are designed to give distance and near vision capabilities. The disadvantages of multifocal lenses are their designs are constantly evolving and they can produce contrast sensitivity problems and other visual distortions such as seeing halos around lights. An economic problem associated with multifocal lenses is they are not fully covered by medical insurance and can cost several hundreds of dollars of out of pocket expense. Popular multifocal lenses include the Alcon ReSTOR, the American Medical Optics Tecnis Multifocal and ReZoom, and the Bausch & Lomb Crystalens HD. It’s best to consult with an ophthalmologist to find out which lens option is best for you. It usually comes down to weighing your activity level and the amount of independence you want to have from wearing glasses.
Cataract Removal Using OZil
OZil torsional technology is emerging as a significant improvement in the removal of cataracts. Cataracts are typically removed when the natural lens of the eye becomes cloudy to the point where it is visually difficult to perform normal activities of daily living. The current technology in which cataracts are removed from the eye is called basic phacoemulsification. In this process a cataract is broken into smaller pieces utilizing a special probe that just cuts in one direction. The smaller pieces are then suctioned away. With OZil torsional technology a cataract is broken into smaller pieces with a probe capable of cutting simultaneously in multiple directions. Because of this major difference, cataracts are broken down into smaller pieces faster and consequently are removed in a more efficient and safer manner. The company responsible for introducing OZil technology to our area is Alcon, a recognized and trusted leader in the eye care field. At this moment, OZil technology is found in a limited number of surgical facilities. If you are a patient with cataracts, it is best to check with your eye care provider to find its nearest availability.
No Stitch, No Shot, No Patch
What is a Cataract? A cataract is a condition in which the natural lens of the eye becomes cloudy. This causes blurry vision that can affect our ability to perform common activities of daily living. What is No Stitch, No Shot, No Patch Cataract Surgery? This is a microsurgical technique in which a cataract is removed and an artificial lens is placed into the eye. No stitches are used because the incision made into the eye is very small and self sealing. No injection shots are used because anesthetic drops placed into the eye before surgery provide the patient with minimal sensation during the procedure. No patch is needed because the eye can function and blink after surgery. What are the advantages? Advantages of this form of cataract surgery are same day surgery, comfort, and fast recovery. If you believe you may have a cataract, please consult your ophthalmologist to learn the possible options and techniques to improve your vision.
Advances in Cataract Surgery
Cataracts are a very common occurrence in our population. Cataracts occur when the lens inside our eye gradually clouds over time. They are most commonly seen in individuals over 50 years of age. The first symptom of cataracts is usually nighttime glare from oncoming headlights. Later, overall vision dims and becomes blurry. Today, cataract removal is an outpatient procedure. To access the cloudy lens, a very small microincision is placed at the edge of the clear cornea of the eye. Next, the clear skin in which the cloudy lens lies within is gently pealed open. A newly approved FDA dye called Vision Blue now allows this clear skin to be easily viewed during this precise opening process. After which, in a technique termed phacoemulsification, the cataract is sectioned into small pieces and simultaneously removed. The final step involves the placement of an artificial lens implant where the old lens used to reside. To avoid any further widening of the original corneal incisions, the artificial lens implant actually goes into the eyes folded and is positioned correctly with the use of a specially designed injector. Patients are often pleasantly surprised about how brighter and clearer their vision becomes after successful cataract removal. Although very uncommon, sometimes complications may occur from cataract surgery and these can range from infection, lens displacement, corneal clouding, glaucoma, and retinal detachment. If you believe you may have cataracts, then it is best to be evaluated by an Ophthalmologist to determine the best treatment plan for improving vision.
All Time Top Ten Patient Stories
Okay, I’ll admit it. This isn’t a Letterman top 10 list. But don’t change the channel just yet. I actually have one good story to retell as it is my all time favorite story that I hear so often from my patients…..The story always starts right after I describe what cataract surgery will be like for my patients that have cataracts. Patients are always positively amazed as they recall what their parents often had to endure after cataract surgery. Back then the surgery required several days of aftercare in a hospital room as the preferred cataract removal technique involved large eye incisions that took a long time to heal. It was not uncommon too for the postoperative hospitalized patient to be purposely immobilized for several days with surrounding sand bags. In addition, there was not any lens implants available so patients often had to wait months until they got very thick glasses that would enable them to see clearly again.Nowadays, cataract surgery has really undergone some changes for the benefit of patients. It is an outpatient procedure done not in hospitals as much as it is done in specialized surgery centers designed in mind to provide comfort and care specifically to the cataract surgery patient. What took hours in the past now takes minutes. And what involved large eye incisions that required several stitches is now replaced with tiny incisions requiring little to no stitches allowing a recovery time that speeds visual recovery and sends patients home the same day after surgery. So if you or a loved one is in the process of considering cataract surgery, it is best to be evaluated and followed by an ophthalmologist specially trained in the latest small incision cataract removal techniques.
Timing Cataract Surgery
A cataract occurs when the natural clear lens in the inside of the eye begins to cloud. Cataracts frequently start in our eyes as we approach the age of 50. The first symptoms of cataracts include difficulty reading in dim light and glare from oncoming headlights during night driving. Cataracts can progress at varying rates. Some cataracts can progress rapidly over a period of as little as a few months and other cataracts may take many years to progress significantly. Ophthalmologists are best suited to monitor cataract progression and often time may even be able to recommend nutritional supplements or specific activities to slow down such progression. One question that I’m asked often by my patients with progressing cataracts is when is the right time to have cataract surgery. I advise cataract surgery when vision is blurred to the point where it impairs one’s ability to comfortably perform their usual activities of daily living. Selecting the right time for cataract surgery therefore becomes a personal decision dependent on level of impairment. As long as one is able to function with their current vision impairment, the cataract can generally be left alone. In fact, many of my patients may never need their cataracts surgically removed. So if you or a loved one is experiencing problems seeing as if there is a haze or film in the vision, its recommended to have a thorough evaluation by an ophthalmologist to see if cataracts are present and then to determine the appropriate treatment modalities.
Freedom From Bifocals
Seniors are singing the phrase, “Freedom From Bifocals”. Medicare recently announced that beneficiaries may now choose to have cataract lens replacement with a lens that not only corrects distance vision but also intermediate and close vision. Before Medicare patients could only choose to have their cataract replaced with a single vision lens that would generally correct just far away vision. As of consequence, these patients would still be dependent on eyeglasses for upclose and intermediate distances. Now the patient and the surgeon have the ability to select a lens that will suit personal and lifestyle needs. This can consequently decrease a patient’s need for eyeglasses. This change in medicare policy is directly related to technological advancement in the treatment of Presbyopia. Presbyopia is a condition that affects those over age 40 and it is the inability of the eyes to focus upclose on tiny objects. As of consequence, people start wearing bifocals at this age to allow them to function as they previously done so because the top part of the glasses is used for viewing distance and the bottom part is used for upclose work. One of the first advancement in Presbyopia treatment allowing a person from freedom from bifocal eyeglasses was the invention of bifocal contacts. These remarkable devices inserted daily onto the eyes can actually allow a person to see far and near without the use of glasses. And now, we have lens implants that can be put into the eye after cataract surgery that will function in a similar way. For patients interested in this new technology, it is prudent to choose an Ophthalmologist proficient not only in cataract surgery, but also modern Presbyopia treatment such as those that routinely fit bifocal contacts. Patients should also review all risks and benefits with their eye doctor before electing to have such a procedure performed.
