What are Cataracts?
Before you undergo elective cataract surgery, you should be aware of what cataracts are and the benefits of surgery.
A cataract is the clouding of the natural lens that exists behind the iris. The iris is the colored portion of your eye usually brown, blue or green. The natural lens focuses the images of the world around us by redirecting light to help us see clearly at all distances.
Cataracts develop with the natural aging process and over time they can cause difficulty seeing at night, reading, or seeing the finer details normally visible with regular vision. Cataracts form due to proteins in the lens of an eye clumping together, causing cloudiness. Light has difficulty passing through the cloudiness, decreasing vision and other visual symptoms described below.
How to recognize if you have cataracts
Symptoms of cataracts include increased nearsightedness, experiencing glare from oncoming headlights when driving, faded colors, issues with glare during the day, double vision, cloudy or blurry vision, and or trouble with glasses or contacts.
Astigmatism and Cataracts
Astigmatism is an optical error caused by a cornea with an irregular shape. Instead of being round, doctors find that an astigmatic eye has a cornea that is shaped more like a football, making it difficult for light to focus onto the retina, causing distortions and blurry vision. Astigmatism may impact one’s ability to properly appreciate depth perception making it challenging to determine the distance between objects or general proximity.
Astigmatism occurs in about one out of every three people in the United States. Many of the symptoms of astigmatism include difficulty ready small print, double vision, eye strain, difficulty focusing on words or lines, and inability to see both near and distance without squinting for clearer vision.
What is Cataract Surgery?
Cataract surgery is a procedure in which a skilled surgeon removes the cloudy natural lens from your eye and replaces it with an artificial intraocular lens (IOL)
Benefits of Cataract Surgery
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.
Treatment Options
Non-Surgical Treatment
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.
Surgery Treatment
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.
Sight360 Lens Options
Like your aging natural lens, the implant cannot change its shape to help you see both up close and at a distance. But several options are available to help you minimize—or even eliminate—your need for any type of glasses after cataract surgery.
Your surgeon will discuss the options and help you decide what option best suits your needs and lifestyle.
NEW Light Adjustable Lens
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.
Monofocal Intraocular 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.
Monovision with Monofocal Intraocular Lens
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.
AcrySof® IQ Toric Intraocular Lens
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.
AcrySof® IQ PanOptix® Trifocal Intraocular Lens
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.
AcrySof® IQ PanOptix® Trifocal Toric Intraocular Lens
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.
AcrySof® IQ Vivity™ Extended Vision Intraocular Lens
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.
AcrySof® IQ Vivity™ Toric Extended Vision Intraocular Lens
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.
Types of 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.
Testing Before Surgery
Before surgery an ultrasound test will be performed to measure the size and shape of your eye to help determine which lens is right for you. Additional testing may be performed to ensure you will benefit from cataract surgery.
Preparation For Surgery
On the day of the surgery, eye drops will be placed in your eye to dilate your pupil. Local anesthetics will be used to numb the area and potentially an additional sedative to help the patient relax. This sedative will cause grogginess but not sleep during the surgery.
Sight 360 Offers Complete Vision Care
Your vision matters. Our team at Sight360 includes top vision health specialists from ophthalmology, optometry, and optical retail committed to integrity and patient care. We aim to provide comprehensive, end-to-end eye care from a convenient, trusted, and all-inclusive source. Call to schedule a consultation appointment today.
Do you have a prescription? No Appointment Necessary!
If you have an existing prescription for eyeglasses or contact lenses, stop in anytime during business hours at any one of our locations. You do not need an appointment to speak with a licensed optician to fill your prescription.
The more you learn about your own eye health, the better you can collaborate with your eye doctor. Our board-certified physicians will share knowledge, coach and empower you to make factually informed decisions about your care and treatment plan.
Cataracts Conditions & Treatments
Highly Rated Eye Doctors & Vision Care Specialists
Your sight is your most important sense. Therefore, you want to make sure it is in excellent hands. You can trust the vision care specialists at Sight360, but don’t take our word for it.
Here’s what our patients have to say about the level of care we provide.
