All Information You Want about Cataract Surgery

Procedures to remove the lens of the eyes and to replace it with an artificial lens are known as cataract surgeries. Generally, the lens of your eyes is clear, but they become cloudy to affect your vision if you have a cataract eventually.

Cataract surgeries are performed by an ophthalmologist (eye doctor) is an outpatient procedure meaning you will be able to go home after the surgery. The operation to remove the cataract is regular and safe.

Why Are Cataract Surgeries Performed?

Treating cataracts is the reason why cataract surgery is performed. The issue can cause blurry vision to increase the glare from lights. The eye MD Monterey recommends this surgery if the cataract is making it difficult for the practitioner to examine the rear of the eye for monitoring or treating problems such as age-related macular degeneration or diabetic retinopathy.

Delaying cataract surgery will not harm your eye, giving you sufficient time to consider your options. If your vision is not affected, cataract surgery may not be required for many years. It would help if you kept in mind specific questions when you are considering cataract surgery. The questions are:

• Are you able to drive and do your job without vision problems?
• Are you encountering problems when reading or watching television?
• Are problems with your vision affecting your independence?
• Are bright lights affecting your vision?

You can discuss the problems affecting you with the optometrist in Monterey, CA, who recommended the procedure to you.

How to Prepare for Cataract Surgery?

You will receive instructions from the optometrist performing cataract surgery in Monterey, CA, not to eat or drink anything for 12 hours before the procedure. The doctor will recommend you stop taking any medication that may increase the risk of bleeding during the surgery. If you are taking medicines for prostate conditions, it would be helpful to let the optometrist have information about it because the drugs can interfere with the surgical process. You may be prescribed antibiotic eye drops for use in a couple of days before the procedure.

The Cataract Surgery Procedure

Before undergoing the cataract surgery procedure, the optometrist performs an ultrasound test to measure the shape and size of your eyes. It is to determine the right type of lens implant. Everyone undergoing cataract surgeries will have an intraocular lens inserted in the back of the eye to improve vision. You will be unable to see or feel the lens that doesn’t require any care to become a permanent part of your eye.

The optometrist will discuss which type of lens works best for your situation because different types of intraocular lens are available. Some of them are expensive and are not covered by insurance companies. The lens is developed from plastic, acrylic, or silicone. The rigid plastic lens implanted through an incision require several sutures to close. However, many intraocular lens are flexible and are installed with a tiny incision to require few or no stitches.

During the cataract surgery procedure, the optometrist will place eyedrops in your eye for dilating the pupil. You will receive sedatives to relax you along with local anesthetic to numb the area. The clouded lens is removed during the surgery, and a clear fake lens is implanted.

The optometrist may perform the surgery by using an ultrasound probe to break the lens for removal. The procedure is known as phacoemulsification, where the optometrist makes a tiny incision in the posterior region of the cornea to insert a thin needle probe into the substance of the lens where the cataract has developed. He or she may also determine to perform laser cataract surgery which is becoming quite popular. The artificial lens is implanted into the empty lens capsule after the cataract is removed either by phacoemulsification or laser cataract surgery.

What Happens After the Procedure?

You can expect your vision to begin improving in a few days after cataract surgery. When your eye is healing and adjusting your vision will still be blurry. However, after the surgery, colors will look brighter as you are looking through a new lens. A visit to the optometrist a couple of days after the surgery and again after a week and a month are necessary to monitor the healing process.

You may feel some itching and discomfort during the first couple of days and are advised by the doctor not to rub or push your eye. You will ultimately need glasses after this procedure, and your doctor will advise when your eyes are healed to give you a final prescription for the glasses.

The Results of Cataract Surgery

Cataract surgeries are successful in restoring vision and most people who undergo the procedure. But some people may develop a secondary cataract known as posterior capsule opacification, which can be treated in a five-minute laser procedure by making a tiny opening in the clouded capsule for providing a clear path through which light can pass.

Cataract surgeries are usually successful, and most people undergoing them have a better vision for longer than before.