Stunning Advances in Cataract Surgery

Cataract surgery used to be like getting a new roof. It’s quite an effort, but it doesn’t change your life. That all changed over the last 20 years when a “series of innovations converged to transform cataract surgery,” according to Ocular Surgery News. The news is that, after cataract surgery, you might be able to see as well as you did decades ago — without the help of glasses or contact lenses. Before we get into the specifics, let’s back up one step.

Why and When Is Cataract Surgery Necessary?

Cataracts become incredibly common as we age.  In fact, according to the National Eye Institute, more than half of Americans have had cataracts or cataract surgery by the time they reach 80. 

That’s because cataracts are caused by normal aging. We start life with clear lenses but, around middle age, the proteins in the eye’s lens begin to break down and clump together. These clumps create a cloud on your lens, known as a cataract. Over time, the cataract grows and makes more of the lens cloudy.

While you can lower your risk of cataracts or delay their onset by protecting your eyes from the sun, quitting smoking, and eating a healthy diet, there is no proven way to prevent them.“As long as there have been humans, there have been cataracts,” reported Vicente Diaz, MD, MBA, a Yale Medicine ophthalmologist. Although they’re common, cataracts are not something that can be ignored. In fact, 50% of blindness worldwide is caused by cataracts.

Breakthroughs in Cataract Surgery for Seniors

Until recently, cataract surgery simply removed the cataract, which takes away the blurriness and glare caused by the condition. But the treatment did nothing to improve the lens of the eye beyond that. “For thousands of years, the goal was to get the cataract out without blinding the person,” says Diaz. “Literally, that was the goal.” Recent advances do far more than just get rid of cataracts. Today’s patients have the option of choosing synthetic replacement lenses that also fix other vision problems. In other words, no more glasses or contacts is a real possibility for many.

Options in Cataract Surgery for Seniors

While you can still choose a lens that gives you the same vision you had before surgery, revolutions in cataract surgery allow you to replace your old lens with a lens that can significantly improve your vision. Options include:

• Monofocal lenses. These lenses allow you to pick one distance (up close, medium range, or distance) to see clearly without glasses or contacts. Most people choose to perfect their distance vision and then continue to wear glasses for tasks like reading. 
• Monovision lenses. In this procedure, the lens of one eye is corrected for distance while the lens of the other eye is corrected for reading. The drawback is that depth perception can be affected. Before going forward with this type of lens, ophthalmologists advise first trying monovision contact lenses to see if and how they work for you. 
• Multifocal lenses. These are similar to bifocals or trifocals in that they allow you to see both near and far objects clearly. A potential drawback is that multifocal lenses can cause visual disturbances such as glare and halos. 
• Extended depth of focus. These lenses improve both distance and intermediate vision, but glasses will likely still be needed for up-close tasks such as reading.
• Toric lenses. These lenses are used to correct astigmatisms. 

Depending on your preference, you may not need glasses at all anymore after cataract surgery. But even if you choose a more conservative approach (such as mono-focal lenses), you can put an end to the juggling of different glasses for different tasks such as driving and reading. 

How Long Does Cataract Surgery Take and What Does It Involve?

Cataract surgery is done on an outpatient basis, typically one eye at a time with a few weeks between procedures. The patient remains awake, but they are lightly sedated and the eye is numbed. The surgery itself only takes 10 or 20 minutes, although recovery from sedation can take an additional half hour.

While cataract surgery has traditionally been done by making a small incision in the eye, cataract surgeries are increasingly being performed with a femtosecond laser, which uses high-energy, focused light beams. The biggest advantage of laser surgery is that it may result in more fine-tuned vision. After either type of procedure, you’ll go home with a shield over your eye to wear for one day and then wear a shield at night for one week. While it can take more than a month to recover fully, most patients notice improvement in just a few days.

Cataract Surgery Options in New Jersey

U.S. News & World Report has compiled a guide to the 692 eye specialists and surgeons in New Jersey based on patient ratings. While more than 100 doctors have top ratings, some of those ratings were based on hundreds of reviews while others were based on less than 20, so you’ll definitely want to consider the number of reviews when evaluating an eye specialist.

Senior Health at The Oaks at Denville

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