Provision Laser Eye Center - Cataracts and Cataract Surgery

Cataracts are a common cause for poor vision. The prevalence of cataracts increases with age; more than 50 percent of people over age 55 have these lens opacities and over 70 percent of those over age 75 have this condition.

Cataract surgery has made extraordinary and exciting advances over the past 20 years. Last year, approximately 2.7 million Americans underwent cataract surgery. Greater than 95% of those patients now enjoy improved vision. State-of-the-art cataract surgery is now a safe, effective, and comfortable procedure performed almost exclusively on an outpatient basis. We use only the latest technology including the multi-focal lenses ReSTOR®, Crystalens™, Tecnis® and Toric astigmatism correcting lenses.

Most cataract surgeries are now performed using microscopic size incisions, advanced ultrasonic equipment to fragment cataracts into tiny fragments, and foldable intraocular lenses (IOLs) to maintain small incision size. Cataract surgery today is the result of extraordinary technological and surgical advancements that allows millions of people to once again enjoy crisp and clear vision. A true marvel of modern medicine, cataract surgery may restore vision to levels you may have never thought possible.

What are cataracts?
A cataract is an opacification of the natural lens in the eye. The amount of clouding may vary, and generally gets worse with age. People who have a cataract may not see well enough to do the things they need or want to do.

Most cataracts progress slowly over a period of years, but their rate of progression is unpredictable. They can affect one eye or both eyes. As cataracts become more dense, they produce visual symptoms; these typically include blur, glare, halos around lights, and double vision. Colors can become dull, and driving can become difficult, especially at night. If left untreated, cataracts can eventually cause blindness. Today, however, cataracts are usually treated when they begin to interfere with activities of daily living such as reading and driving.

If you fit any of these profiles, it is especially important to have your eyes examined on a regular basis by an eye care specialist.

How is a cataract diagnosed?
A cataract can only be diagnosed through a dilated eye exam. The doctors at Provision Eye Center can detect the presence and extent of your cataract as well as any other condition that may be causing blurred vision or discomfort.

How are cataracts treated - No Stitch, No Patch, No Needles, No Pain Cataract Surgery
Cataracts in the early stages can be treated by changing your eyeglass prescription. However, as the cataract becomes more advanced, surgery may be indicated. The cataract procedure is a simple 10 minute surgery where the cloudy lens is removed with an ultrasound machine and replaced with an artificial lens implant, an intraocular lens like the lens to the left. The implant has the patient's glasses prescription already built in resulting in much less reliance on glasses than beforesurgery.More importantly, the problems induced by the cataract are gone for good. The implant requires no maintenance and performs its job for the rest of the individuals life.

How can cataract surgery help me?
In the mid- and late 1990s, numerous medical studies were conducted to help us understand how cataract surgery affects the quality of life of older people. One study, conducted by the Johns Hopkins University School of Hygiene and Public Health, found that patients who had cataract surgery enjoyed an improvement in their quality of life, reflected in their driving skills, community activities, home activities, and mental health.

Driving and cataract surgery
In addition to an improvement in overall quality of life, recent studies have shown that cataract surgery on driving safety. A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that older people who have cataract surgery reduce their chances of having a car accident by more than 50 percent.

Despite the proven benefits, many patients are reluctant to have cataract surgery. They may delay it because of a lack of family support, the need to address other chronic conditions, or the mistaken perception that cataract surgery requires a significant amount of time for recovery.

Today, most cataract operations are performed in an outpatient setting and do not require admission to a hospital. Thirty years ago, thick glasses were prescribed so that people who had cataract surgery could see. In the past two decades, however, small artificial lenses that can be implanted in the eye have been developed. These intraocular lenses (IOLs) can provide good distance vision with thin glasses or, sometimes, without glasses at all. Cataract surgery iwith Dr. Durrett is a painless 10 minute procedure performed at a local outpatient surgery center.

When should cataract surgery be considered?
Based on your symptoms, you and the eye care specialists at Provision should decide together when to proceed with cataract surgery. If your loss of vision interferes with your daily activities, cataract surgery should be considered. Your doctor will discuss the various options with you before choosing the best lens that best suits your lifestyle.

Implantation of an artificial lens with cataract surgery has been successfully performed for decades. Lens implants started out as monofocal implants that only correct for one area of vision. Through the years, many attempts have been made to design a multifocal implant capable of restoring vision at all distances. The newest generation of these multifocal lenses – the ReSTOR®, Crystalens™, Tecnis® and Toric – are the most successful implants yet.
Standard or monofocal lenses correct your vision for the one specific area – distance, intermediate or near. It is recommended that the standard lens be set for distance vision. When you choose a standard lens set for distance, you will be dependent on glasses for intermediate (computer) and near (reading) vision.
Monovision is a situation where a standard lens implant is placed in both eyes with one set for distance and the other for up close. The major potential advantage of monovision is the reduced need for glasses in distance and near activities. There are, however, disadvantages to monovision including loss of depth perception, potential feeling of imbalance between the eyes, and loss of improved vision when both eyes are working together. Individuals with an active lifestyle or have difficulty with night driving, are generally poor candidates for monovision. If you are interested in monovision, you should schedule a trial period with contact lenses to ensure monovision will work for you.
Premium implants (the ReSTOR®, Crystalens™, and Tecnis®) allow you to see at more than one distance, thus reducing your dependence on glasses for all ranges of vision. A majority of patients choosing this lens achieve 20/20 distance with the ability to read very small print without glasses. Results with the deluxe lenses vary but your reading vision will be much better than if you choose a standard implant. A small percentage of patients who choose the deluxe lens rely on glasses for occasional near and distance tasks. It may take a few months to learn how to use the various optical zones on the new implant.
Astigmatism is a refractive error where the cornea is not shaped properly, thus resulting in a blurring of the vision. In a normal eye, the cornea is shaped round, similar to a basketball. In an eye with astigmatism, the cornea is shaped oblong, more like a football. If astigmatism is diagnosed, it can be left untreated or corrected during surgery using two different methods: Limbal Relaxing Incisions and/or a premium lens implant.
Limbal Relaxing Incisions (LRI) are tiny, superficial incisions on the cornea that modify its shape, allowing light rays to focus properly on the retina.
A premium lens implant has astigmatism correction built in to the actual lens and provides the same result as the LRI but with increased accuracy.

Whichever lens you choose, our goal is your satisfaction. We strive to achieve the very best outcomes for all our patients. With the latest technology and highly skilled doctors and staff, we are confident that we can deliver the vision you deserve.

Cataracts & Cataract Surgery