Cataracts are natural changes in the lens of the eye. As we age, the lens clouds up and darkens, causing “fuzzy” vision, difficulty in certain lighting conditions, and glare and halos around lights. Everybody eventually develops cataracts if they live long enough; think of them as the “gray hair of the eyes!” Other causes of cataracts may include eye trauma, use of steroids, uncontrolled diabetes, and eye inflammation.
Although cataracts ultimately develop in everyone, some people may be prone to developing them earlier. Exposure to sunlight and other ultraviolet sources over years may quicken the growth of cataracts, so ultraviolet-blocking sunglasses may be beneficial. Diabetics who have their blood sugars well-controlled may not develop cataracts any sooner than average. There have been no quality studies demonstrating the benefits of vitamins or supplements in stopping or delaying the development of cataracts.
If you notice glare or halos around oncoming headlights or street lamps, find it increasingly difficult to read in dim lighting, feel that your glasses or contact lenses are not improving your vision, or perceive that colors are duller, you may be developing cataracts. Even small vision changes can signify the beginning of cataracts.
Cataract surgery is the most commonly performed procedure in the world. It is performed in an out-patient surgery center, without the need for an overnight hospital stay. The procedure takes about 5-20 minutes, and you can get back to almost all of your activities immediately! The eye is numbed with eye drops and you are given mild sedation to relax you, but since cataract surgery is considered “painless”, general anesthesia is not necessary. The cataract is removed from the natural “bag” which surrounds it, and is then replaced with a clear plastic prescription lens that is customized for your particular vision needs.
Once placed in your eye, the lens remains in place permanently, allowing you to see sharply. And unlike your natural lens, the implant does not wear out or need to be replaced. Rarely, an implant can be exchanged for one that is more technologically advanced, or for other extenuating circumstances.
This is an old and confusing term for a clouding that sometimes occurs on the back surface of the bag surrounding the implant. It is more commonly known today as posterior capsule opacification (PCO). Even though the lens itself perfectly clear, patients experience progressively foggy vision. PCO can develop as early as a few weeks or as late as several years after cataract surgery, and is completely reversible with a simple in-office procedure. A painless laser polishes the lens bag, which permanently removes the cloud, restoring the clarity of your vision.
EVO ICL (Implantable Collamer Lens) is a thin lens that is placed inside the eye to correct nearsightedness and astigmatism, providing an alternative to LASIK, glasses or contact lenses. It is particularly beneficial for individuals who have thin corneas, significant nearsightedness, and astigmatism, or those who suffer from dry eyes.
RLE, or Refractive Lens Exchange, is a procedure where the eye’s natural lens is replaced with an artificial intraocular lens (IOL) to improve vision in people who need to wear glasses or contact lenses full-time for near and far vision. The IOL does not need to be replaced and the procedure prevents the development of cataracts, providing permanent vision correction for life!
Presbyopia is an age-related condition that causes people to lose the ability to focus up close, typically starting in the early to mid-40s. It results from the gradual hardening and loss of flexibility of the eye’s natural lens. Patients with presbyopia can benefit from a Refractive Lens Exchange procedure.
Yes, EVO ICL is a popular alternative to LASIK, providing amazing vision without reshaping the cornea. This preserves the cornea’s integrity and therefore does not create the dry eye that is common with LASIK. EVO ICL is also reversable should your prescription change or you develop cataracts in the future.
Refractive Lens Exchange or Clear Lens Extraction with premium intraocular lenses (IOLs) eliminates the need for reading and distance glasses. This procedure effectively cures presbyopia as well as distance issues. providing you with glasses-free near, intermediate, and distance vision.
All 3 of these procedures use laser light to reshape the cornea in order to treat nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism.
- LASIK: Creates a flap on the surface of the cornea and then the laser reshapes it. This option offers a quick recovery time and minimal discomfort.
- PRK: Removes the outer skin layer of the cornea before reshaping it. The treatment takes away less tissue, making it suitable for thinner corneas. Recovery can take a bit longer, but results are comparable to LASIK.
- SMILE: A minimally invasive technique that creates a small incision to reshape the cornea without a flap. This method may lead to less postoperative discomfort and faster recovery.
Bilateral same-day surgery allows patients to have both eyes treated on the same day, as separate surgeries, enhancing convenience and recovery. Patients appreciate the efficiency of addressing both eyes at once and recovery takes half the time, with quicker adjustment to the new vision.
Yes, you may still be a candidate for Refractive Lens Exchange (RLE) even if you don’t have cataracts, especially if you have significant refractive errors. If you wear glasses or contact lenses for reading, you are likely a candidate. This makes it a great option for those looking for a permanent vision correction procedure, whether or not you have cataracts.
You will receive oral sedation for comfort during the procedure; no IV sedation is required. This needle-free approach helps ensure you feel relaxed and at ease throughout the process, without the need to fast.
The femtosecond laser, such as LenSx, is a precise laser used in cataract and refractive surgery for more accurate and controlled incisions. It allows for advanced techniques that can safely and more accurately improve surgical outcomes.
Imagine reading, playing golf, driving, using your computer, and shopping without having to reach for a pair of glasses. Advanced technology intraocular lenses (IOLs) can eliminate your need for glasses after surgery. The most popular lens implant is called the PanOptix. It is a multifocal lens which allows you to focus at distance, intermediate, and near. Other advanced technology implants include ReSTOR, and Tecnis Multifocal. The IOLs can be used during cataract surgery, or in a clear lens exchange procedure for those who want their distance, intermediate, and near vision corrected, even if they do not have significant cataracts.
Although most patients can qualify for this advanced technology implants, there are some limitations. If your prescription is too nearsighted, farsighted or you have a large degree of astigmatism, the lens implant alone may not correct your entire prescription. In these circumstances, LASIK or other procedures may be necessary to complete the process of vision correction. In addition, the health of your eye will greatly determine whether these IOLs will be right for you. A full dilated examination of your eyes is necessary to determine if you are a candidate for this exciting technology.
LASIK is a vision correction procedure that has very successfully treated millions of individuals. Even though LASIK may improve your vision, it does not prevent or treat cataracts, so as your natural lens ages the effects may wear off. A lens-based procedure replaces your natural lens with an implant that cannot cloud up and become a cataract. For individuals who cannot read or see up close without glasses, a lens removal procedure performed before the cataract becomes visually disabling offers several advantages. First, you will not have to worry about ever getting cataracts in the future. Second, the multifocal IOLs can allow you to read and perform various near tasks without using reading glasses. Also, unlike the natural lens an implant maintains its prescription forever. So, the vision you achieve at the end of the process is yours for life (barring any future medical changes in your eye)!
In order to determine the best implant option for you, we will perform a comprehensive eye examination, and perform several measurements of your eyes. Our staff will walk you through the procedure, discuss the various implants that could suit your needs based on your tests and desires, answer all your questions, and help you fill out all the necessary paperwork. It is important for you to be out of your contact lenses for at least 1 week; this helps your corneas regain their natural shape in order to ensure the best testing results possible.
You will go home within a half hour of the procedure. Patients may resume most of their activities immediately after the procedure, although their vision may not be stable for up to 1-2 weeks. We ask that you take it easy the day of surgery, and avoid strenuous exercise or getting the eye dirty for the following week. Aside from that, you are free to resume the majority of your activities!
Most people start to see better within a few hours. Vision is initially a little blurred as a normal response to the healing process. In addition, unlike laser vision correction, cataract surgery does not guarantee total freedom glasses. In fact, most patients who undergo standard cataract surgery usually require reading glasses. There are procedures which can decrease the need for any glasses. Examples include: having one eye’s focus set to see up close and the other eye set for distance vision (monovision), and using multifocal or accommodating lens implants. It is important to note that cataract surgery alone does not correct astigmatism, although certain implants and elective procedures can correct the condition.
When the front of the eye (cornea) is shaped like a football rather than a soccer ball, images appear stretched in one direction – like looking through a funhouse mirror. This could cause the letter “O” to appear like the letter “I”, for example. When the cornea has astigmatism, it can be corrected with either an astigmatism-correcting (toric) implant, or an additional procedure such as LASIK or limbal relaxing incisions (LRIs).
That is generally determined by you and Dr. Shatz, however it is usually best to have both eyes operated within a short time of each other. At SightTrust, we offer the option of having both eyes treated on the same day. The benefits include having only one aesthesia session, a shorter healing period, fewer visits to the office, and a quicker visual recovery. This option is great for people who want to avoid multiple procedures, and has been shown to be equally safe as having each eye treated on separate days.
The best way to find out if you have cataracts or can benefit from a lens exchange procedure is to have your eyes examined. Your eye doctor can best evaluate your eyes and discuss whether you have cataracts, and whether you would benefit from cataract surgery. You can also learn about the various IOL options available to decrease your dependence on distance and reading glasses after refractive lens exchange or cataract surgery
Dr. Andrew Shatz has been performing cataract surgery for more than 20 years, and has performed over 25,000 surgeries, including thousands of refractive lens procedures. He utilizes the latest techniques, including topical clear-corneal surgery – also known as the “no needles, no stitches” technique. Dr. Shatz is a leader in the use of multifocal IOLs in the Southeast, and often lectures nationally to his colleagues about the latest techniques and advances in cataract and multifocal IOL surgery.
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