Laser Cataract Surgery – A Ray of Light for a Clearer Vision

A cataract is a condition where your eye lens gets foggy and unclear. To see clearly, the lens located behind your iris needs to be clean. The lens focuses the light on your retina, where images are read by the receptive nerves. When cataract clouds the lenses, the focus of the lens is scattered or lost. Change in vision will depend on the size and location of the cataract. 

Who are at risk of getting cataract?

Cataract generally starts developing around the age of 40. Nevertheless, its symptoms are noticed at the age of 60. Cataracts are also due to some birth defects, but are rare. Other possible factors that can cause cataract development are –

• Smoking
• Residing in extremely polluted areas
• Alcoholism
• Genetic
• Eye surgery
• Diabetes
• Steroids
• Radiation to the upper body
• Extreme exposure to UV rays without sunglasses

How to know you are suffering from a cataract?

• Foggy, cloudy, or filmy vision
• Bright light sensitivity
• Halo or glare around lights can make driving at night-time hard
• Sudden nearsightedness
• Need bright light to read
• Change in color shades
• Poor night vision
• Double vision in one eye

Remember, cataracts are not painful but can make you feel uncomfortable. For cataract surgery Mesa, visit Swagel Wootton Eye Institute. The cataract eye cost will depend on surgical technique, severity, and choice of lens. For more information, visit the website https://eyeinstituteaz.com/cataract-surgery-az/. 

In cataract surgery, the deteriorated lens is replaced with an intraocular lens [artificial lens]. You vision is clear as well as you get to enjoy multiple other distinctive benefits. 

Vision clarity

Vision gets greatly improved and it is much clearer. The colors are sharper than before. Your night vision also gets better. 

Life quality enhances

Cataract development is slow and takes some time to identify the symptoms. You have to stop driving or reading activities without any reason. Foggy vision impacts your quality of life. This may trigger anxiety and depression. With cataract surgery, you can see things much clearly. 

Decreases fall and fracture risks 

Vision loss is one of the reasons to have a fall. Falling can be dangerous especially for senior citizens and be fatal. Senior citizens may suffer from hip fractures due to a fall, which can get averted if their vision is improved with cataract surgery.

More independence 

Due to the blurry vision, driving is dangerous. You have to depend on someone else to drive you. There are many things that you will need to depend on someone due to poor vision. For elderly people, it may seem like getting trapped or loss of freedom. With an enhanced vision, you can maintain your independence and perform all your tasks with confidence. 

Safety for others

Cataract surgery will not just enhance your vision, but also protect fellow drivers on the road. Visual acuity is crucial for safe driving. It potentially saves your life and other drivers and road user’s lives. 

Improved vision will improve overall lifestyle because eyes are critical for working, driving, reading, gardening, playing games, watching movies, etc. Discuss cataract surgery process, benefits, and risks with your ophthalmologist. A small procedure of 15 minutes can enhance your vision, self-confidence, freedom, safety, and social activities. Never delay in scheduling an appointment for cataract surgery because some intraocular lenses have insurance coverage. 

Nevertheless, before you go for cataract surgery, you will need to determine:

• When is the right time to schedule the surgery? It is better to remove cataracts when they are still immature to avoid visual impairment.
• Which procedure is suitable? – Manual or laser….it is a personal preference.
• What type of intraocular lens do you need for replacement? – Right kind of IOL depends on your preference and goals. 
• Who will perform your cataract surgery? – Choose a qualified and experienced eye surgeon. Remember, the cost gets defined by the surgeon’s specialization and experience.
• Where will your cataract surgery take place? – Icon Eye Care in Denver is an institution that takes pride in using advanced technology and state-of-the-art equipment. 
• What will be the total cost of the surgery? Many things are considered while calculating the cost such as the surgeon’s experience, IOL type, manual or laser method, severity, insurance or non-insurance, and more. 
• If you have an insurance policy, then understand the extent of coverage and other terms. 

Manual vs. laser cataract surgery

The basic steps of cataract surgery include a tiny incision in your cornea and reach the stroma located behind the lens. An ultrasound is used to break and suck the cloudy lens. An IOL is replaced and the incision is closed, which heals over time. The recovery for both surgery methods is the same, but with laser, the surgeon is allowed to make a precise incision. This adds consistency and accuracy to the manual process.

How to choose an IOL?

The optometrist performs extensive eye examination to find the reasons and even the risk factors of not having the surgery. Via refraction, the farsightedness, nearsightedness, or astigmatism extent is determined. Besides, the eye measurement is taken to determine eye length and cornea curvature. These measurements allow the doctors to choose the intraocular lens [IOL] power to offer a good vision post-surgery.

IOL types

Today, there are multiple IOL types to choose but the choice will depend on your needs. 

• Fixed-focus monofocal lenses – You get to see distant objects clearly, but will need reading glasses for close vision. People who choose this lens type have one eye replaced with near vision lens and the other with distant vision. It is popular a ‘Monovision’. However, it is not suitable for people who need detailed and crisp vision, so ask your surgeon!
• Adjustable monofocal lenses – The latest option allows a shift from near to far based on ciliary muscle movements. The response is just like a natural lens in any healthy eye. The middle and distant vision is good, but people complain about issues about farsightedness. You also need eye exercises to get acclimatized to them.
• Toric lenses – People with cylindrical lenses or astigmatism condition are recommended Toric lenses. They are specially designed to offer focused vision at a single distance to correct the astigmatism condition, so there is no need to wear distant glasses post-surgery. 
• Multi-focal lenses – Unlike the progressive or bifocal lenses, the multifocal ones have areas separated for intermediate, distance, and near vision. The eye and the brain will figure out which part of lens to use. Multifocal lenses have their perks, but can create extra halos at night. 

Toric IOLs can correct nearsightedness, farsightedness, and/or astigmatism. If you are comfortable wearing glasses post the cataract surgery, then a monofocal lens is used. If there is one-eye cataract surgery, you may need prescription glasses. The doctor will prescribe new ones four weeks after the surgery. 

If you don’t want to depend on reading glasses, then choose the latest presbyopia-correcting IOLs. It helps to enhance reading vision without any compromise to the distant vision. The presbyopia-correcting lens is not for everyone. Besides, they are expensive and you don’t get insurance coverage. 

Eyeglasses post-cataract surgery

Those who chose presbyopia-correcting IOLs will not need the reading glasses. However, glasses are helpful to perform certain tasks or reading labels with too small prints. There may be traces of refractive error, which is normal. 

You can wear progressive lenses all the time to see near and far objects. Some people gain excellent visual results, but choose to wear eyeglasses for eye protection. A few choose to wear eyeglasses because it has become a habit, as they wore it for years. They need to choose anti-reflective and photochromic lenses for the comfort, good looks, and clear visions.

What is the typical recovery time for cataract surgery?

Your visual system will take time to adjust to cataract removal and IOL adaptation. Some people have distorted or wavy visions, but it is temporary. Your eyes may develop redness due to blood vessels on the sclera [eye white] during surgery. After some days, your eyes heal and the redness dissipates. 

Some bruising can be noticed in the lower portion just like a black eye. Several people attain a clear vision within a few hours. Every person takes their own recovery time. Some feel pain or discomfort for days, while a few experiences itchiness. So, complete healing of the eye can take a month after cataract surgery. 

What precautions to take post-cataract surgery?

• The surgery lasts for just 15 minutes, but be prepared to stay at the clinic for a maximum of one and a half hours. The extra time is to prep you like administering pre-operative medicines and dilating the pupils. Before you leave, there will be a post-operative evaluation and brief instructions of dos and don’ts.
• Ensure to have a family member, who will drive you home. Remember to avoid driving until your doctor confirms that your vision is great.
• Medicated eye drops get prescribed, which you need to use a few times daily for two weeks post-surgery. 
• While sleeping wear protective eye shields for a few weeks. Keep your eyes covered from bright sunlight with special post-operative glasses.
• After the surgery, you can experience blurred vision and redness, which is temporary. 
• Some activities like heavy lifting, bending, or stressful workouts need to get avoided. 
• Ensure to stay away from water splashes, so be careful while bathing. 
• Activities that expose your eyes to grime dust or contaminants must be kept at bay.

In case, you experience consistent eye burning or discomfort call your eye surgeon instantly!