Cataracts are a medical condition affecting the eye’s lens which is located just behind the pupil. They cause the lens to become cloudy or opaque, hindering its ability to focus light onto the retina at the back of the eye.

The clouding of the lens in cataracts results from the clumping of proteins within the lens. This clumping prevents light from passing through clearly, leading to various vision problems.

Symptoms of cataracts include blurred or distorted vision, sensitivity to light, difficulty seeing in low light conditions, and seeing halos around lights. These symptoms may develop gradually as the cataracts progress.

The most common cause of cataracts is aging. Other contributing factors include diabetes, prolonged exposure to sunlight, smoking, and certain medications. Understanding these factors can help in taking preventive measures.

Cataracts can be effectively treated through surgery. During the surgery, the cloudy lens is removed and replaced with an artificial lens. This procedure is generally safe and has a high success rate in restoring clear vision.

Navigating life with cataracts can be profoundly limiting. As cataracts grow your day-to-day vision will often look as if you are looking through a dirty glass, where everything is blurred or fuzzy, and colors appear faded. Surgery will restore your vision clarity and colors to their former brightness.

Our board-certified ophthalmologists are trained to perform cataract surgery by removing the existing lens and replacing it with an artificial intraocular lens. Cataract surgery will help you gain a 360 perspective and improve your quality of life.

Non-surgical treatments are a great option for those who wish to avoid surgery or do not yet need surgery.

Using anti-glare sunglasses, utilizing brighter lights for daily tasks, magnifying glasses or lenses for reading, and keeping up-to-date with eyeglasses and sunglass prescriptions are alternatives to immediate surgery.

For patients who find themselves in more advanced stages of cataracts and want to find a long-term solution, a surgical procedure is the best remedy to remove cataracts. It is a safe and commonly performed procedure that removes the natural lens within the eye and replaces it with an artificial intraocular lens that will allow you to see clearly. Patients can choose either a mono-focal, multifocal or toric artificial intraocular lens and may choose from traditional Cataract Surgery or Femto Laser for Bladeless Cataract Surgery.

Traditional Cataract Surgery

During Traditional Cataract Surgery, our board-certified ophthalmologist will make an incision with a blade in the cornea, remove the natural lens (cataract), and implant a clear, artificial intraocular lens. After surgery, you will be instructed to follow specific instructions to heal and protect your eyes.

Femto Laser for Bladeless Cataract Surgery

The Femto Laser utilizes a state-of-the-art computer-guided laser linked to an optical imaging system that removes the need for a blade for the procedure resulting in exact incisions at a depth, length, and orientation that is more accurate than traditional surgery. Patients undergo surgery with an accurate, non-invasive technique that replaces many of the steps that traditional cataract surgery takes and therefore reduces the recovery time.

Laser surgery reduces vision irregularity and lessens or eliminates astigmatism. Once the procedure is complete, the patient can resume normal daily activities with limited restrictions and with the expectation of noticing results by the two-week mark.

The Light Adjustable Lens is the first and only IOL that allows our surgeons to fine-tune your prescription after cataract surgery, resulting in your best visual outcome. For more information, please see Cataract Light Adjustable Lens. 

The basic intraocular lens (Monofocal Intraocular Lens) has one strength/power. Our ophthalmologist will discuss with you the appropriate power needed based on your lifestyle. For instance, your doctor may place an intraocular lens with the ability to correct your distance vision; in this case, you would require reading glasses for clear vision up close. Conversely, your vision could be corrected for reading, in which case you would need glasses to help you see clearly at a distance. 

Another option is for your doctor to select the implant strength for you to see clearly at a distance for one eye and a different strength—the one for up-close—for your other eye so that you can see clearly at all distances with less dependence on glasses after surgery. This works well for most people, but some people have trouble with depth perception when their two eyes are focused at different distances. We typically recommend this option for patients who have previously and successfully worn monovision contact lenses.

Ideal for decreasing postoperative astigmatism, the toric intraocular lens is designed to correct regular corneal astigmatism from affecting your vision. When an eye has astigmatism, it can’t see clearly at any distance without glasses or contacts. Upon completing this surgery, patients will most likely need distance or reading glasses.

This FDA-approved multifocal option is the first and only trifocal lens available in the United States. The premium lens allows for three different distances of vision for clear near, intermediate and distance vision. Instead of adopting reading glasses or wearing bifocals, this lens corrects blurry vision at all levels of distance at once. In fact, 80.5% of people with the PanOptix® Lens reported never using glasses after surgery, and 11.4% reported that they rarely used them. 

This intraocular lens combines the benefits of both the Acrysoft® IQ Toric and Acrysoft® IQ Pan Optix® Tri-focal intraocular lens resulting in the correction of blurry vision at all levels of distance at once. With AcrySof® IQ PanOptix® Trifocal Toric Intraocular Lens vision becomes sharper and brighter, and there are no longer any blurry zones that create straining to focus for all distances of sight. The Acrysoft® IQ PanOptix® Toric Trifocal Intraocular Lens is an excellent choice if you want to significantly reduce your dependence on glasses and/or contact lenses and if you also have significant astigmatism.

This intraocular lens option uses wavefront technology shaping to provide a broader range of vision, usually with fewer visual disturbances that one may experience with other intraocular lens choices. This AcrySof® IQ Vivity™ Extended Vision Intraocular Lens allows you to enjoy life with less dependencies on glasses and/or contact lenses.

This intraocular lens combines the benefits of both the Acrysoft® IQ Toric and Acrysoft® IQ Vivity® Toric Extended Depth of Focus Intraocular lenses, resulting in a broader range of vision with fewer visual disturbances. The AcrySof® IQ Vivity™ Toric Extended Vision Intraocular Lens is a great choice if you have astigmatism and want to significantly reduce your dependence on glasses and/or contact lenses.