Presbyopia Correcting Lens Implants
Cataracts are a clouding of the otherwise normal crystalline lens caused typically by the aging process, although sometimes injuries or drugs are contributing factors. This cloudiness prevents light rays from passing through the lens and focusing on the retina, the light sensitive tissue lining the back of the eye.
While early lens changes may not disturb vision, as the condition progresses it often leads to a significant reduction in sight. Symptoms may develop that include blurred or fogged vision; sensitivity to light and glare; increased nearsightedness; or distorted images in either eye.
Fortunately, these issues can be fixed through cataract surgery. Performed on an outpatient basis, the procedure typically lasts only 10-20 minutes. The cloudy natural lens is removed from the eye, and, in most cases, is replaced with an intraocular lens (IOL).
An intraocular lens is a tiny, lightweight, foldable, clear-plastic disk. There are standard IOLs and specialty lens implants which can correct vision problems like presbyopia and astigmatism and limit or eliminate the need for glasses.
Advances in surgical techniques have eliminated stitches to the eye or the need for patches. Ultrasound (phacoemulsification) can break the cataract into billions of pieces as it is aspirated out of the eye. Femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery allows the surgeon to perform many of the manual portions of the procedure with a high-speed infrared laser.
Your ophthalmologist will help you decide what cataract procedure is right for you as well as advise you on intraocular lens options.
