| Cataracts
Our skilled surgeons were the first in the region to perform no-stitch or one-stitch
cataract surgery. By using these innovative techniques, patients have a speedier recovery
time, ensuring a quick return to their daily activities.
Our Specialties Include:
NEW! Baptist Eye Surgeons
can implant both the
AMO ReZoom and the
Alcon ReSTOR accommodative lenses. Ask your doctor which is
right for you.
What
is a cataract?A
cataract is a clouding or opacity of the crystalline lens, or focusing element of the eye.
This natural lens is situated just behind the pupil. With the help of the cornea, it
focuses the light rays on the retina. Technically speaking, any opacity of the lens is a
cataract but generally we only use the term when the clouding is sufficient to
significantly reduce vision.
Baptist Eye Surgeons were the first in the region to
perform no-stitch or one-stitch cataract surgery. By using these innovative techniques,
patients have a speedier recovery time, ensuring a quick return to their daily activities.
What are the symptoms?
Cataracts
cause blurring and dimming of vision. They disperse light and cause glare, especially when
out in the sun and around lights at night. Some people complain of a film over their eyes
of glasses and try in vain to blink or rub it away.
As the natural lens becomes more cloudy it
often swells causing a change in the optics which sometimes makes it possible to read
without glasses. Patients with this "second sight" will find, however, that
their distance vision will become more blurred and eventually their near vision will also
dim.
How are cataracts diagnosed?
In order to determine
the cause of blurred vision a complete eye examination is required, which includes
examining the front part of the eye including the lens with a biomicroscope (often called
a slit lamp) and the back part of the eye with an ophthalmoscope.
If you eye is otherwise healthy, modern
cataract surgery can lead to improved vision in more than 95% of cases. That is not 100%,
but still, the odds are definitely in your favor.
When should cataract surgery be
scheduled?
Once a cataract starts
to form, the visual impairment is progressive. Certain types of congenital cataracts tend
to remain stable and are the exemption to this rule. There are many types of cataracts and
we can tell you if your type is likely to progress slowly or rapidly.
Will I be hospitalized?
We do almost all of our cataract implant
surgeries on an outpatient basis. One reason our patients do so well with outpatient
surgery is that it demands no more change in their daily routine than is absolutely
necessary.
What happens after surgery?
It usually takes
several weeks for the eye to heal completely. During that time we will need to see you in
the office for periodic follow-up visits.
Most patients are able to return to
office-type work in a few days and to manual labor after one week.
More
information
We encourage you to talk with
your doctor about treatment for cataracts. For additional
information, please see these helpful links:
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