What is Cataract Surgery?

If you suffer from cataracts, you are not alone.

Cataracts is a progressive condition that develops slowly over a number of years. Common symptoms of cataracts include blurry and clouded vision, increased sensitivity to light, difficulty driving after dark, difficulty reading, and seeing a halo effect around light fixtures. As the primary cause of vision problems in senior citizens, cataracts prevent light from reaching the receptors in your eye.

Cataracts can affect both eyes or one eye, but it’s not a contagious condition that can move from one eye to the other. Because cataracts don’t come on the scene quickly, those who suffer from them often simply attribute them to the natural process of aging. However, if you’re experiencing any of these symptoms and suspect that cataracts may be the culprit, you may be a candidate for cataract surgery. Here’s what you need to know.

Cataract Surgery

Cataract surgery is a simple, safe procedure that is performed on more than 3 million Americans every year. The surgery removes the lens of the eye and replaces it with an artificial lens made from acrylic, silicone, or plastic. Most of the time, the surgery is performed by an eye surgeon on an outpatient basis and involves the use of a local anesthesia applied to the eye area. Your surgeon may also provide medication to help you relax during the procedure.

The Procedure

Patients should plan on being in the office for about two-and-a-half hours, although the procedure itself generally takes 20 minutes or less. Our team of expert surgeons uses state-of-the-art technology to ensure patients experience a minimum of discomfort during the procedure and enjoy the best possible results. We use a computer-assisted instrument to make customized, highly precise cuts, and after we remove the cataract and insert the new lens, an intraoperative wavefront aberrometer is used to fine-tune the results.

Your eye surgeon will probably ask you not to eat or drink anything 12 hours before your scheduled surgery, and you may also be advised to forgo taking certain medications on the day of your surgery. Cataract surgery recovery time is short for most patients and involves only a few common sense post-operative recommendations.

After Cataract Eye Surgery

If your surgeon has administered medication to help you relax during the surgery, you may be a little groggy afterward and will usually be asked to rest in a designated recovery area for 30 minutes to an hour. A protective shield will be placed over the eye or eyes in which the surgery was performed, and you’ll need to have a family member or friend drive you home. Although many patients report experiencing clear vision just several hours after the surgery, others may not see results for several days to a week.

Please feel free to reach out to us at your convenience to schedule a consultation if you’d like more information on how cataract surgery can enhance your quality of life.