Patients with cataracts in Nelson, may experience a loss in their quality of life, since the vision problem may hinder their ability to perform routine activities. Similar to a smudged camera lens, cataracts obstruct the clarity of a patient’s vision. This obstruction results from cloudiness that forms on the eye’s natural lens and creates haziness in the patient’s vision.
Our ophthalmologists can help restore vision by treating a patient’s cataracts at our facility. Through a small incision, the patient’s clouded lens is removed and replaced with an intraocular lens (IOL). The incision is so small that stitches are usually not required. Usually an outpatient procedure, surgery for cataracts tends to last approx half an hour. Most patients can return to their normal routines within a day of cataract surgery, although they must be careful not to rub their eyes during the healing process. The cataracts patients at our practice are amazed by the clarity of their vision after surgery.
Just behind the pupil of your eye is the lens. This focuses the light entering the pupil to make a clear image in the retina. The retina changes the image into a nerve impulse so that the brain can “see” it. Usually the lens of the eye is crystal clear so that it the light passes through it easily.
If any cloudiness develops in the lens then it starts to block the light passing through and the patient begins to get blurred vision. This clouding of the lens is called CATARACT. When the blurring gets worse it is better to have the cloudy lens removed by an operation and replaced by a clear man-made lens. This lens is called an implant.
If you have diabetes or glaucoma you can still have cataract surgery in complete safety.
When the cataract has been removed from the bag in which it is contained it is replaced by a synthetic man-made lens. This new lens is implanted into the space which had been occupied by your own natural lens. That is why it is called an ‘implant’. There are many types of implant and we will help you choose the one which fits your lifestyle best.
What Method Is Used
The technique, called refractive phako for short, is the most successful method of restoring your vision following cataract surgery. The incision is 2.4mm long i.e. about half the width of your small fingernail, The cloudy lens is broken down inside the eye and washed out. This lens is then replaced with a clear man-made one. The new lens is inserted and it opens up like a flower when inside. No stitches are used and the incision is self healing.
While removing a cataract it is now possible to refocus the eye to give clear distance vision without glasses. Many patients are able to continue routine daily tasks without the need for spectacles, even those who had previously depended on glasses. The process consists of two main parts:
- Meticulous measurements of the eye preoperatively in the outpatient clinic and computerized analysis of the results.
- On the day of the surgery a carefully chosen implant is inserted into the eye which will focus it for distance.
Good Vision Without Glasses after the Operation
The most satisfied patients after cataract surgery are those who do not require glasses to see clearly. Since your eye is refocused during the operation we take the opportunity to focus it for no distance glasses even if you have worn glasses all your life. Implants, like glasses, come in different strengths and you will have your eye measured to find the strength of implant most suitable for you. We cannot guarantee that patients will not depend on glasses in every case, even those patients who did not depend on glasses beforehand. Most patients can expect to be able to carry out most tasks without having to resort to the need for glasses. If glasses are required they normally very weak ones. Occasionally some patients prefer to have their eyes focused for near vision so that they can read without glasses. These patients however need glasses to see clearly in the distance.
It can sometimes be forgotten that the primary function of cataract surgery is the prevent you going blind from cataract. Being spectacle-free afterwards is a great bonus which we always try to achieve but it is not the main reason for the Surgery.