Cataract Surgery
What Is A Cataract?
A cataract is a clouding of the natural lens within your eye. The lens is a clear,
soft structure just behind the pupil and helps to focus light onto the back of the
eye, or the retina. When a cataract develops, the lens becomes a hazy yellow and
hardens. This results in the blocking or scattering of light as it enters the eye.
When the cataract is very severe it can turn white and is visible as a "white pupil."
A cataract is NOT a growth, film, or tumor. It is NOT found on the surface of the
eye. It does NOT cause pain, irritation or itch.
Cataracts are a normal part of aging. They are the result of protein changes
withing the center of the lens. Typically this is a very slow process that occurs
over several years. Sometimes your doctor will tell you that your cataract is
"small." What this means is that it is early in the process, or the changes are mild.
Cataracts become a problem when the symptoms are interfering with activities of
your daily life. This is different for each individual depending on your visual
needs.
About half of Americans ages 65 to 74 have significant cataracts. Over 90 percent
of those age 75 and over have this condition.
Most people with cataracts have a cataract in both eyes. However, one eye may be
worse than the other because each cataract develops at a different rate.
What Are the Symptoms of a Cataract?
Here are some negative effects of a cataract:
Cloudy, fuzzy, foggy, or filmy vision
Dullness of colors
Problems driving at night from dim vision or halos around lights
Poor vision in bright lights from lamps or the sun
Frequent changes in your eyeglass prescription
Double vision
How is a Cataract Diagnosed?
A regular eye exam is all that is needed to find a cataract. Your eye care
professional will ask you to read a letter chart to see how sharp your sight is. You
will get eye drops to enlarge your pupils (the round black centers of your eyes).
This helps the doctor to see the inside of your eyes. The doctor will use a bright
light to see whether your lenses are clear or cloudy, and to check for other
problems in the back of your eyes. Other causes of vision changes will be
evaluated at the same time, including dry eyes, glaucoma and macular
degeneration.
Other eye tests may also be used occasionally to show how poorly you see with a
cataract or how well you might see after surgery.
Finally, an ultrasound machine will be used to measure the length of your eye in
order to plan the appropriate lens replacement at the time of surgery.
How is a Cataract Treated?
A change in your glasses, stronger bifocals, or the use of magnifying lenses may
help improve your vision and be treatment enough. With time glasses will no
longer work.
The way to surgically treat a cataract is to remove the lens and replace it with an
artificial lens called an implant.
Using new surgical techniques, the removal of the cataract is a safe and
straightforward process. No or minimal discomfort is experienced during and
after the procedure due to local anesthesia. It is performed without sutures
through a micro incision in the eye and takes about 15 minutes.
The lens is removed by using a technique called phacoemulsification
(pronounced FAY-co-ee-mul-sih-fih-CAY-shun) to liquefy the lens for safe
extraction. The lens is NOT removed by laser which is a common misconception.
A new synthetic lens implant is then inserted in place of the cataract. Typically
no stitch is required as the tiny incision is small enough to heal on it's own.
How Do I Decide Whether To Have Surgery?
Most people have plenty of time to decide about cataract surgery. Your doctor
cannot make your decision for you, but talking with her can help you decide if
you are ready for surgery on not.
Tell your eye care provider how your cataract affects your vision and your life. If
your vision becomes too much of a disability removal should be considered. If
any of the following statements apply to you, share this with your doctor:
I need to drive, but there is too much glare from the sun or headlights.
I do not see well enough to do my best at work.
I do not see well enough to do the things I need to do at home.
I do not see well enough to do things I like to do (for example, read, watch TV,
sew, hike, play cards, go out with friends.
I am afraid I will bump into something or fall.
Because of my cataract, I am not as independent as I would like to be.
My glasses do not help me see well enough.
My eyesight bothers me a lot.
You may also have other specific problems that you want to discuss with your eye
doctor.
What Should I Expect During and After Surgery?
People do not need to stay overnight in a hospital to have cataract surgery. You
will go to an outpatient center or hospital, have your cataract removed, and leave
shortly after. However, you will need a friend or family member to take you home.
The anesthesiologist is a doctor that works in the operating room to make you
comfortable and relaxed for the surgery. They also monitor your blood pressure
and other vital signs throughout the surgery. You will be given medications
through an IV according to the anesthesiologist. Dilating drops are placed in the
eye about 30 minutes before surgery, and the eye will be numbed by drops or gel
placed on the surface of the eye before surgery.
In the operating room you will only see the bright light from the microscope.
There will be a protective drape placed over the rest of your face and body. Once
surgery is over, you may have either a patch or a simple eye shield over the eye.
Expect to take eye drops for about a month. If you aren't sure how to take eye
drops properly, your doctor will instruct you. Physical activity is typically
restricted for the first week after surgery. You and your doctor should discuss
specifically what activities should be avoided.
It takes about a month or two for an eye to completely heal after cataract surgery
but most people are seeing well within the first few days. Most patients have
minor irritation for a day or two only. Your eye doctor will check your progress
closely during this time making sure your eye recovers fully.
Can a Cataract Return?
A cataract cannot return because the lens has been removed. However, in some
people the back of the lens capsule that surrounds the new lens implant becomes
cloudy. It can cause vision problems similar to a cataract with blurring of vision
or glare from bright lights.
The treatment for this condition is a procedure called Yag Capsulotomy. The
doctor uses a laser (light) beam to make a hole in the capsule to let light pass.
This surgery is painless and relatively quick.
Most people see better after YAG capsulotomy, but, as with cataract surgery, rare
complications can occur. Your doctor will discuss the risks with you. YAG
capsulotomies should not be performed as a preventative measure.
Is Cataract Surgery Right for Me?
Most people who have a cataract removed recover from surgery with no problems
and have improved vision. In fact, serious complications are not common with
modern cataract surgery. This type of surgery has a success rate of 95 percent in
patients with otherwise healthy eyes. But no surgery is risk free. Although serious
complications are not common, when they occur they could result in loss of
vision.
If you have a cataract in both eyes, experts say it is best to wait until your first eye
heals before having surgery on the second eye. If the eye that has a cataract is
your only working eye, you and your ophthalmologist should weigh very carefully
the benefits and risks of cataract surgery.
Benefits of Cataract Surgery
Improvements in Activities
Everyday activities
Driving
Reading
Working
Moving around
Social activities
Hobbies
Safety
Self-confidence
Independence
Possible Complications of Cataract Surgery
High pressure in the eye
Blood collection inside the eye
Infection inside the eye
Artificial lens damage or dislocation
Drooping eyelid
Retinal detachment
Severe bleeding inside the eye
Swelling or clouding of the cornea
Swelling of the retina
Blindness
Loss of the eye
Talk to your doctor about any questions you may have about surgery and about
your individual needs!
A cataract is a clouding of the natural lens within your eye. The lens is a clear,
soft structure just behind the pupil and helps to focus light onto the back of the
eye, or the retina. When a cataract develops, the lens becomes a hazy yellow and
hardens. This results in the blocking or scattering of light as it enters the eye.
When the cataract is very severe it can turn white and is visible as a "white pupil."
A cataract is NOT a growth, film, or tumor. It is NOT found on the surface of the
eye. It does NOT cause pain, irritation or itch.
Cataracts are a normal part of aging. They are the result of protein changes
withing the center of the lens. Typically this is a very slow process that occurs
over several years. Sometimes your doctor will tell you that your cataract is
"small." What this means is that it is early in the process, or the changes are mild.
Cataracts become a problem when the symptoms are interfering with activities of
your daily life. This is different for each individual depending on your visual
needs.
About half of Americans ages 65 to 74 have significant cataracts. Over 90 percent
of those age 75 and over have this condition.
Most people with cataracts have a cataract in both eyes. However, one eye may be
worse than the other because each cataract develops at a different rate.
What Are the Symptoms of a Cataract?
Here are some negative effects of a cataract:
Cloudy, fuzzy, foggy, or filmy vision
Dullness of colors
Problems driving at night from dim vision or halos around lights
Poor vision in bright lights from lamps or the sun
Frequent changes in your eyeglass prescription
Double vision
How is a Cataract Diagnosed?
A regular eye exam is all that is needed to find a cataract. Your eye care
professional will ask you to read a letter chart to see how sharp your sight is. You
will get eye drops to enlarge your pupils (the round black centers of your eyes).
This helps the doctor to see the inside of your eyes. The doctor will use a bright
light to see whether your lenses are clear or cloudy, and to check for other
problems in the back of your eyes. Other causes of vision changes will be
evaluated at the same time, including dry eyes, glaucoma and macular
degeneration.
Other eye tests may also be used occasionally to show how poorly you see with a
cataract or how well you might see after surgery.
Finally, an ultrasound machine will be used to measure the length of your eye in
order to plan the appropriate lens replacement at the time of surgery.
How is a Cataract Treated?
A change in your glasses, stronger bifocals, or the use of magnifying lenses may
help improve your vision and be treatment enough. With time glasses will no
longer work.
The way to surgically treat a cataract is to remove the lens and replace it with an
artificial lens called an implant.
Using new surgical techniques, the removal of the cataract is a safe and
straightforward process. No or minimal discomfort is experienced during and
after the procedure due to local anesthesia. It is performed without sutures
through a micro incision in the eye and takes about 15 minutes.
The lens is removed by using a technique called phacoemulsification
(pronounced FAY-co-ee-mul-sih-fih-CAY-shun) to liquefy the lens for safe
extraction. The lens is NOT removed by laser which is a common misconception.
A new synthetic lens implant is then inserted in place of the cataract. Typically
no stitch is required as the tiny incision is small enough to heal on it's own.
How Do I Decide Whether To Have Surgery?
Most people have plenty of time to decide about cataract surgery. Your doctor
cannot make your decision for you, but talking with her can help you decide if
you are ready for surgery on not.
Tell your eye care provider how your cataract affects your vision and your life. If
your vision becomes too much of a disability removal should be considered. If
any of the following statements apply to you, share this with your doctor:
I need to drive, but there is too much glare from the sun or headlights.
I do not see well enough to do my best at work.
I do not see well enough to do the things I need to do at home.
I do not see well enough to do things I like to do (for example, read, watch TV,
sew, hike, play cards, go out with friends.
I am afraid I will bump into something or fall.
Because of my cataract, I am not as independent as I would like to be.
My glasses do not help me see well enough.
My eyesight bothers me a lot.
You may also have other specific problems that you want to discuss with your eye
doctor.
What Should I Expect During and After Surgery?
People do not need to stay overnight in a hospital to have cataract surgery. You
will go to an outpatient center or hospital, have your cataract removed, and leave
shortly after. However, you will need a friend or family member to take you home.
The anesthesiologist is a doctor that works in the operating room to make you
comfortable and relaxed for the surgery. They also monitor your blood pressure
and other vital signs throughout the surgery. You will be given medications
through an IV according to the anesthesiologist. Dilating drops are placed in the
eye about 30 minutes before surgery, and the eye will be numbed by drops or gel
placed on the surface of the eye before surgery.
In the operating room you will only see the bright light from the microscope.
There will be a protective drape placed over the rest of your face and body. Once
surgery is over, you may have either a patch or a simple eye shield over the eye.
Expect to take eye drops for about a month. If you aren't sure how to take eye
drops properly, your doctor will instruct you. Physical activity is typically
restricted for the first week after surgery. You and your doctor should discuss
specifically what activities should be avoided.
It takes about a month or two for an eye to completely heal after cataract surgery
but most people are seeing well within the first few days. Most patients have
minor irritation for a day or two only. Your eye doctor will check your progress
closely during this time making sure your eye recovers fully.
Can a Cataract Return?
A cataract cannot return because the lens has been removed. However, in some
people the back of the lens capsule that surrounds the new lens implant becomes
cloudy. It can cause vision problems similar to a cataract with blurring of vision
or glare from bright lights.
The treatment for this condition is a procedure called Yag Capsulotomy. The
doctor uses a laser (light) beam to make a hole in the capsule to let light pass.
This surgery is painless and relatively quick.
Most people see better after YAG capsulotomy, but, as with cataract surgery, rare
complications can occur. Your doctor will discuss the risks with you. YAG
capsulotomies should not be performed as a preventative measure.
Is Cataract Surgery Right for Me?
Most people who have a cataract removed recover from surgery with no problems
and have improved vision. In fact, serious complications are not common with
modern cataract surgery. This type of surgery has a success rate of 95 percent in
patients with otherwise healthy eyes. But no surgery is risk free. Although serious
complications are not common, when they occur they could result in loss of
vision.
If you have a cataract in both eyes, experts say it is best to wait until your first eye
heals before having surgery on the second eye. If the eye that has a cataract is
your only working eye, you and your ophthalmologist should weigh very carefully
the benefits and risks of cataract surgery.
Benefits of Cataract Surgery
Improvements in Activities
Everyday activities
Driving
Reading
Working
Moving around
Social activities
Hobbies
Safety
Self-confidence
Independence
Possible Complications of Cataract Surgery
High pressure in the eye
Blood collection inside the eye
Infection inside the eye
Artificial lens damage or dislocation
Drooping eyelid
Retinal detachment
Severe bleeding inside the eye
Swelling or clouding of the cornea
Swelling of the retina
Blindness
Loss of the eye
Talk to your doctor about any questions you may have about surgery and about
your individual needs!
(C) www.sarahbaroodymd.com
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