Cataracts

Cataracts can negatively impact your quality of life. Each year, millions of people are affected by cataracts, a common condition that clouds your eye’s natural lens. The cloudiness develops as a result of the buildup of protein in the lens. The lens clouds naturally as you age. The resulting cataract can block light and degrade vision.

The exact cause of cataracts is unknown, although they may be a result of injury, illness such as diabetes, or various medications. Prolonged exposure to sunlight and smoking can also increase your chances of developing cataracts. To determine whether you have cataracts, our doctors perform a dilated eye exam to test your vision and assess the overall health of your lens and eye as a whole. If you’ve developed cataracts, no need to worry. Niswander Eye Center offers a variety of cataract treatment options.

Cataract Treatment

You don’t need to let cataracts interfere with your ability to work and enjoy life. If your vision is impaired, you may want to consider cataract surgery. Cataract removal is the most commonly performed medical procedure in the country. It is extremely safe and produces outstanding results for most people. As with any surgery, there is a small risk of complications.

You can discuss your treatment options with your doctor at Niswander Eye Center during your exam. It’s important to regularly schedule eye exams and catch visually impairing diseases, such as cataracts, early in their development.

Cataract Surgery

Traditional cataract surgery, or phaco, is minimally invasive. After numbing the eye, a tiny incision is created through which an ultrasonic probe enters to break up the cataract (cloudy lens) into several, very small pieces. These emulsified pieces of the cataract are gently vacuumed out of your eye.

Once the cloudy lens is cleared and removed, a new artificial lens is implanted. This lens is known as an intraocular lens (IOL), and slips through the tiny opening previously created. Niswander Eye Center offers the latest in IOL technology and your doctor will discuss the best available option for you.

The latest development in cataract surgery involves the LenSx laser treatment. Laser cataract surgery was first performed in the US in 2010. Traditional cataract surgery uses manual instruments and blades for the major steps of surgery. By replacing these hand-held instruments with the precision of a computer-controlled laser, the precision and accuracy of the surgical procedure will only improve.


 

What does the LenSx laser do during cataract surgery?
The LenSx femtosecond laser allows us to do the following:

  • Incisions are made with the laser.
  • The circular opening made in the envelope holding your lens is made with exact precision using the computer-controlled laser. Studies have shown that with the laser opening the lens implant position in the eye is more predictable. We believe that a more predictable lens position will lead to better results.
  • The cataract is pre-softened and fragmented with the laser.
  • Corneal shape can be precisely improved to reduce and eliminate corneal astigmatism.
  • We believe that laser cataract surgery will set the new standard for precision, accuracy and safety with cataract surgery. Laser cataract surgery when paired with the latest lens implant technology will enable our patients to see their best with the least reliance on spectacles and contact lenses.

 


Dropless Cataract Surgery...Cataract Surgery Just Became Easier!

In Dropless Cataract Surgery, medicine is placed in the eye at the time of surgery. The medicine is a combination of an antibiotic and an anti-inflammatory, which is absorbed by the eye over a month, providing the patient with the benefits of the medication without the need of eye drops. 

  •  No high cost post-op medications
  • Administered by your surgeon during cataract procedure, eliminating the need for post-op eye drops.
  • The medication keeps working during post-op time, so there's no worry about remembering to use your eye drops.

                             

                                                      

  

Multifocal Lenses

Just because you’ve had cataract surgery doesn’t mean you have perfect vision without the use of glasses. However, Niswander Eye Center provides multifocal lens implants that significantly improve your overall vision to be less dependent on antiquated eyeglasses or contact lenses.

Traditional monofocal lenses focus light to only one point in space, whereas a multifocal lens has more than one point of focus and focuses light from distances both near and far simultaneously. As your eye ages, the human lens becomes more rigid and functions like a monofocal lens. A multifocal lens allows you to see at all distances as it makes up for the eye’s inability to change shape.

It’s great news that the vast majority of patients in FDA clinical trials achieved 20/20 vision and 85% of patients never needed glasses ever again. However, some patients who choose multifocal lens implants may require the use of eyeglasses afterwards. It’s important to discuss all of your lens options with your Niswander Eye Center doctor during your exam.

Niswander Eye Center features some of the latest advances in implant lens technology. Examples of premium adjustable focus or astigmatism correcting lenses are: