Cataract Care

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What are cataracts?

If your vision has become cloudy or things you see are not as bright as they used to be, a cataract may have developed in one or both of your eyes. A cataract is a clouding of the eye's naturally clear lens. Your eye becomes like a window that is frosted or yellowed.

The amount and pattern of cloudiness within the lens can vary. If the cloudiness is not near the center of the lens, you may not be aware that a cataract is present.

There are many misconceptions about cataract. A cataract is not:

Cataracts are a common cause of vision loss, especially as we age, but they are treatable. Your ophthalmologist (Eye M.D.) can tell you whether cataract or some other problem is the cause of your vision loss and can help you decide if cataract surgery is appropriate for you.


How are cataracts treated?

If your vision is only slightly blurry, a change in your eyeglass prescription may help for a while. However, if you are still not able to see well enough to do the things you like or need to do after the change in eyeglass prescription, cataract surgery should be considered.

Cataract surgery is often performed as an outpatient procedure and does not require an overnight stay. There are usually few restrictions, and you will be able to resume your normal activities almost immediately.

Before surgery, the length of your eye will be measured in what is called an A-scan, and the curve of your cornea will be measured in a technique called keratometry. These measurements help your Eye M.D. select the proper lens implant for your eye.

With phacoemulsification, an ultrasound instrument breaks up the center of the cloudy lens and suctions it out.

The most common procedure used for removing cataracts is called phacoemulsification. A small incision is made in the side of the cornea (the front part of your eye). Your Eye M.D. inserts a tiny instrument through the incision that uses high-frequency ultrasound to break up the center of the cloudy lens and suction it out. The lens is removed in one piece, using a technique called extracapsular extraction.

After the cloudy lens has been removed, the surgeon will replace it with an intraocular lens (IOL) implant made of plastic, silicone or acrylic. This new lens allows light to pass through and focus on the retina. The IOL becomes a permanent part of your eye. In most cases, the IOL is inserted behind the iris, the colored part of your eye, and is called a posterior chamber lens. Sometimes, the IOL must be placed in front of the iris. This is called an anterior chamber lens. When the IOL is in place, the surgeon closes the incision. Stitches may or may not be used.

In some cases, the part of the lens covering that supports the IOL (called the capsule) can become cloudy several months or years after the first cataract was removed. This is called an after cataract or secondary cataract. If this occurs and blurs your vision, your Eye M.D. will make an opening in the center of the cloudy capsule with a laser to allow light to pass through the lens properly again. This procedure, called a posterior capsulotomy, takes about five minutes in the doctor's office and requires no recovery period.

If you are having cataract surgery, be sure to tell your doctor if you are currently or have ever used alpha-blocker medications such as Flomax®, Uroxatral® or Cadura®. These medications affect the iris or pupil and can lead to complications during cataract surgery. You can still have a successful surgery if your surgeon knows that you have taken these drugs and appropriately adapts his or her surgical technique. You should also tell your Eye M.D. about any other sedative medications you are taking.

Also, if you plan to have cataract surgery and you have had LASIK or other laser refractive surgery, provide your Eye M.D. with the vision correction prescription you had before LASIK, if possible. This information will help your Eye M.D. calculate the correct IOL prescription for you.

Most people who wear bifocals or reading glasses for near vision may still need to wear glasses after cataract surgery for reading, and, in some cases, even for distance. If you choose to have a multifocal or accommodative IOL, your dependence on glasses may be minimized or, in some cases, eliminated completely.

Source American Academy of Ophthalmology,
Last reviewed and updated in March 2010

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