Cataract Surgery

Low Risk. High Reward.

Cataract surgery is a safe and effective way to restore vision. The procedure is almost always outpatient and is performed under local anesthesia. The surgeon will generally complete the procedure in 10 to 15 minutes. Severe complications are rare and most patients can return to normal activity the following day.

Cataract Symptoms:

• Cloudy, fuzzy, foggy, or filmy vision.
• Changes in the way you see colors.
• Problems driving at night because headlights seem too bright.
• Problems with glare from lamps or the sun.
• Frequent changes in your eyeglass prescription.
• Better near vision for a while only in farsighted people.

Surgical Cataract Treatment:

Cataract surgery is one of the most commonly performed surgeries in the United States where an ophthalmologist removes the clouded crystalline lens and replaces it with a permanent artificial intraocular lens implant (IOL). Usually, anesthesia consists of numbing eye drops and a mild sedative. A sterile drape will be placed around the eye to be operated on. To begin your surgery, the surgeon will make a very small incision (between 2-3 millimeters) at the outermost edge of the cornea. The incision is self-sealing and does not require stitches. The natural lens is removed using ultrasound and an artificial lens is put in its place. The drapes are removed and sunglasses or an eye shield are placed over the eye.

Lens Options

Monofocal: A standard replacement lens provides very good "monofocal” focusing power for distance vision only, much like a single-vision pair of eyeglasses. You will still be dependent on reading glasses or bifocals for close-up vision. There are other options that may enable you to see clearly at near as well but it may require you to have one eye corrected for distance and one eye for near. This lens is covered by insurance companies.

TECNIS® Toric: This lens not only replaces the eye's natural lens, but also helps correct astigmatism at the same time. This lens implant will decrease your dependence on glasses for distance, but you will still need to have reading glasses. This lens is not covered by insurance.

TECNIS® Multifocal Lens Family: these lenses offers a personalized solution to give you outstanding vision at all distances (near, intermediate and far). More than 80% of patients have enjoyed freedom from glasses after receiving one of the three lenses that are in the TECNIS® Multifocal family. The TECNIS® Multifocal family of IOLs has a unique solution customized for your active lifestyle. Studies indicate that 9 out of 10 patients said they would choose their TECNIS® Multifocal Lens again. Some lenses lose the ability to provide good vision, particularly up close, as light is reduced. Thel TECNIS® Multifocal family of IOLs is designed with patented optics and materials to provide high-quality vision even in low-light conditions. Because of the multifocal technology in the TECNIS® Multifocal family of IOLs, you may experience some glare and halos at night after cataract surgery. As your eyes adjust to the new lens, these effects may lessen over time. This lens is not covered by insurance.