Cataract Surgery

A cataract is the natural lens which has undergone changes that interfere with its ability to focus images clearly.  Most cataracts are caused by aging, but some form prematurely due to sun / UV light exposure, smoking, diabetes, or steroid use.  Patients usually notice a slow deterioration in their vision that cannot be corrected by new glasses.  The only effective treatment for cataracts in surgery with an artificial, plastic lens implant.

Cataract surgery has undergone many advances over the years.  Long gone are the days of extended hospital stays and "Coke bottle" glasses.  Modern cataract surgery is an outpatient procedure usually performed with very little anesthesia.  With the advent of topical anesthesia, patients now leave the outpatient hospital without an eye patch and improvement of their vision usually by the first day.  Technology like partial coherence interferometry has allowed incredible accuracy in postoperative results.  The lens implant manufacturers have produced an array of options when considering the best surgery for each patient.  Patients can choose from a standard lens implant, an astigmatism-correcting lens implant, or a multifocal lens implant depending on which best serves their needs.