Cataract Surgery

Cataract surgery is a minimally invasive procedure that is typically performed on an outpatient basis using local anesthesia. Cataract surgery replaces the cloudy natural lens of the eye with a clear artificial lens, known as an intraocular lens (IOL).

Cataracts affect more than half of all Americans age 60 and older causing a progressive, painless loss of vision, as well as:

Our doctors perform a minimally invasive, small-incision, no-stitch cataract surgery called phacoemulsification. During this procedure, a tiny incision is made in the eye making room for a small ultrasonic probe. This probe breaks up, or emulsifies, the cloudy lens into tiny pieces. The lens pieces are then suctioned out through the probe. Because of its small size, the incision will be able to heal on its own with only a topical eye drop, so there are no injections or stitching in the eye at all.

After the cloudy lens has been removed, the artificial IOL is implanted in the eye. The IOL is inserted through the same small incision that was made to remove the original lens. This process significantly reduces recovery time while reducing the risk of bleeding, scarring, irritation and distortion.

Premium Lens Implants

A wide range of replacement lenses are available to cataract patients, each offering different advantages for post-surgery vision. The most effective lens to use depends on the patient's individual preferences and goals for their vision. The lenses eliminate the need for glasses or contacts after cataract surgery, providing most patients with convenient, effective results for their specific vision conditions.

Toric IOL

Intraocular lenses are used during cataract surgery to replace the damaged lens of the eye with an implant that clears up and corrects vision, oftentimes leaving patients with little to no dependence on glasses.

Up until now, patients with astigmatism did not have the same opportunities that other cataract patients have had in correcting their condition with the types of IOL lenses that were available. Typically, the astigmatic patient would need an additional surgical procedure, such as refractive surgery or LASIK, to correct their vision after the procedure. If the patient did not want to undergo another surgical procedure, the only option for correction would be the use of either contact lenses or glasses to address their astigmatism.

Toric IOLs are able to accommodate for the condition of astigmatism. Toric IOLs are specially designed to correct astigmatism along with overall vision during cataract surgery, offering complete vision correction.

Multifocal Intraocular Lenses (IOLs)

Multifocal IOLs allow for full vision correction at near, intermediate and far distances, completely eliminating the need for eyeglasses or contact lenses for most patients. Some IOLs can also correct astigmatism. The procedure to implant a multifocal IOL is performed at the conclusion of cataract surgery.

These choices were not always available for cataract patients. In the past, cataract surgery only involved monofocal lenses, which could only focus on objects near or far, but could not adjust to accommodate varying distances. These patients still had to rely on glasses or contact lenses after surgery in order to see clearly at all distances, especially for those older patients suffering from presbyopia.

Multifocal IOLs such as PanOptix® preserve distance vision and correct presbyopia so cataract surgery patients -- and patients seeking treatment for presbyopia alone -- can enjoy clear sight without relying on glasses.