Cataract surgery has been revolutionized over the past year with the development of new lens implants that allow patients to see both far away and up close without glasses or contact lenses. In fact, with these lens implants patients can get more range in their vision than people over 45 can get with laser vision correction.
The eye works like a camera. An image is focused on the retina by the combination of the cornea, the outer layer, and the lens inside the eye. When the lens becomes cloudy, it is called a cataract. Cataracts cause a variety of symptoms. Because it is like looking through a dirty window, cataracts can produce smudgy vision, difficulty reading fine print, difficulty seeing road signs, glare, especially with oncoming headlights, loss of color vision, and ultimately blindness if left untreated. Cataract surgery consists of removing the cloudy lens and replacing it with an artificial lens implant. The surgery typically takes under 15 minutes and is done on an outpatient basis. Eye drops are used to numb the eye and IV sedation is given. The procedure is quick and painless. Drops are then used for several weeks after surgery. No patch is placed on the eye and patients typically have excellent vision the next day. With the older style lens implants, patients are only able to see clearly at one point, typically far away and use reading glasses for up close work. The new lens implants such as the aspheric ReSTOR® lens and the Crystalens® allow patients to have a broad range of vision for far and near. The AcrySof® Toric lens is also available to correct astigmatism and greatly improve quality of vision.
Which lens is right for you? For each patient the answer is different depending on what their specific needs are. Together, we can determine which lens implant would best fit your lifestyle, enhancing your visual freedom.
Craig J. Helm, M.D. is the medical director of Helm Vision Group located at 27420 Tourney Rd, Valencia, California 91355. Call for a consultation at 259-3937, or contact me via email at craighelm@sbcglobal.net .