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Currently, there is no medical treatment available to reverse cataract formation, or even stop its progress. However, cataract surgery is available to help restore the patients vision.
Cataract surgery involves removing the cloudy lens from the eye and replacing it with permanent intraocular lens implant. We now have available multifocal implants which correct the vision at both distance and near. Not all patient’s are a candidate for this implant, this will be determined at the time of your pre-op visit.
This patient is given medication to numb the eye and with the aid of a surgical microscope, the surgeon makes a very small incision where the cornea and sclera meet. Through the incision, the surgeon removes the cloudy natural lens in a technique known as phacoemulsification. The lens nucleus is fragmented into microscopic particles with an ultrasonic oscillating probe, then suctioned from the eye. The clear plastic artificial lens is then implanted. The tiny incision made to perform the procedure is either determined to be self-healing, or is closed with a single stitch. The procedure is generally done in 15 to 20 minutes.
Phacoemulsification
There are few postoperative limitations associated with cataract surgery. In most cases the procedure is "no-stitch" outpatient surgery. Your doctor will give you specific instructions after the surgery, based on your eye's response to the procedure.
Visual acuity for the first few weeks after cataract surgery varies from patient to patient. For some it will be very clear, while others have slightly blurred vision. Within 3 to 6 weeks the eye should be sufficiently stable to prescribe new glasses, if fine tuning of your vision is necessary.
Cataracts will not grow back, as the clouded natural lens was removed and replaced with a clear artificial lens. However, some vision deterioration may occur up to several years later because of clouding of the lens capsule. The lens capsule is a portion of the natural lens that is left in place after cataract surgery. The symptoms are similar to those experienced with the original cataract: blurred vision, problems reading and driving, and glaring.
When lens capsule clouding does occur, a laser treatment called "YAG" is used to create a small clear opening in the cloudy lens capsule. Visual acuity should be returned to that achieved after the initial surgery.
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Lens Capsule Clouding
Before YAG Laser |
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Lens After YAG Laser Procedure
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