No matter what aspects of life you value most - working, golfing, reading or just taking in the scenery while strolling around town - chances are they are highly or wholly dependent on your sight. So if your vision is clouded by cataracts, you may actually be losing the ability to enjoy the very things, places and people that make life worth living. Fortunately, cataract surgery can help you regain what you've lost, both in terms of your vision and your quality of life.
What is a Cataract?
A cataract is a clouding of the natural lens inside your eye. This lens, located behind the iris, works just like the lens of a camera - focusing light images on the retina, which send images to the brain. The human lens can become so clouded, it keeps light and images from reaching the retina. A cataract can be the reason sharp images become blurred, bright colors become dull, or seeing at night is more difficult. It may also be why the reading glasses or bifocals that used to help you read or do simple tasks no longer seem to help. The best way to treat a cataract is with surgery that removes the old, clouded lens and replaces it with a new, artificial one to restore your vision, and in many ways, significantly improve your quality of life.
Cataract surgery is one of the most commonly performed procedures in the United States. During the procedure, the cataract or clouded lens is removed through a tiny incision using a special piece of equipment and technique called phacoemulsification. This instrument uses ultrasonic vibrations to break apart the natural lens and vacuum it from the eye. A foldable implant lens is then inserted through the small incision. Once inside the implant unfolds and is placed into its permanent position.
Laser Cataract Surgery: Custom Tailored to Your Eyes
While all human eyes share the same basic anatomical structure, every eye is just a bit different in terms of size, depth, curvature of the cornea and other key features. Which is why, every eye must be carefully measured and mapped prior to cataract surgery. While these measurements have been routinely performed prior to surgery, the LenSx Laser uses a range of highly advanced technologies – including integrated optical coherence tomography (OCT) – to capture incredibly precise, high-resolution images of your eyes. These images—and the measurements and data they provide – are then used to plan and perform a surgery to exacting specifications not attainable with traditional surgery.
For more information, please contact our patient advisor: 330-747-2733 or [email protected].
