CATARACT CENTER
What is a Cataract?
Cataracts are the leading cause of visual loss in adults 55 and over. A cataract is the clouding of the natural lens of your eye. Eye injury, diseases and medication can cause cataracts, but the most common cause is the result of our natural aging process.
As your body ages, the flexibility of the lenses in your eyes lessen, tissue begins breaking down and clump together causing clouding. The clouding then worsens and invades the majority of the lens.
While aging is the most common cause for cataract development, other top contributors are: cigarette smoking, alcohol, obesity, and ultraviolet lights. While the cataract develops, it scatters light as it passes through the lens of the eye, thus preventing a sharply defined image in the retina.
With a success rate of over 98%, cataract surgery is one of the safest and most effective surgical procedures. Most people are surprised to find out just how easy and pain-free cataract surgery is. The surgery is performed with topical numbing drops and IV sedation.
Do I have a cataract?
The most common symptoms of a cataract are:
- Blurry/Cloudy Vision.
- Not comfortable driving.
- Having to frequently change your eyeglasses or contact lens prescription.
- Colors are faded.
- Glare from light may start appearing to be too bright.
- Not enjoying normal activities.
- Double vision in one eye.
- Seeing “halos”, when looking toward light.
- Your vision may have a yellow or orange tinge.
If you have one or more of these conditions, please contact us today to setup a consultation!
What to expect on the day of cataract surgery
Cataract surgery with a success rate of 98% is the only treatment for Cataracts. If our team of professionals determine that cataract surgery is indicated, we will guide your care through this painless 10 minute procedure.
Pre-Surgery
Although you are typically at the facility for 2-3 hours, the surgery takes only minutes to insert the new lens, after the cataract is removed. This intraocular lens is precisely calculated and prepared with your prescription to restore your best possible vision.
During Surgery
What happens during Cataract Surgery?
Using the latest technology at our out-patient surgery center, our team will begin to prepare you for a painless 10 minute procedure to remove the cataract.
A microscopic incision, 2.4 millimeters in size, is created in the cornea as a self-sealing valve so that there are no stitches required. The cataract is gently removed from the eye with phacoemulsification. A soft foldable acrylic intraocular lens (IOL), is placed in the eye.
Our doctors will choose the appropriate IOL for your eye after a discussion of the options: Monofocal AcrySof IQ IOL, Multifocal AcrySof ReStor IOL or an Astigmatism correcting AcrySof Toric IOL. The lens is safely inserted through the corneal incision, thus completing the procedure.
Post Surgery
Premium IOLs
When it comes to cataract surgery, you now have a choice.
At Colorado Cataract & Laser you can explore the option of advanced technology premium IOLs with cataract surgery for vision near to far to everywhere in between usually without the need for glasses. While the standard monofocal IOL allows you to see clearly at only one distance, the AcySof ReStor IOL is a multifocal lens providing vision in a range of distances and the AcrySof Toric IOL provides quality distance vision for those with astigmatism.
Alcon PanOptix® TriFocal Lens
AcrySof® ReSTOR® IOL
The AcrySof Multifocal IOL can be implanted during cataract surgery to provide a full range of clear vision with a decreased dependency on glasses. Your nearsightedness, farsightedness and need for reading glasses are all corrected with this IOL.
Most AcrySof ReStor IOL patients find that they can read a book, work on the computer and drive a car day or night usually without the need for glasses. In fact, 78% of patients in a clinical study reported complete freedom from glasses. You may, however, experience some visual disturbances that are unique to this IOL.
Approximately, 25% of patients implanted with the AcrySof ReStor IOL experience mild to moderate halos around lights at night. This disturbance diminishes with time. Additionally, under low lighting conditions many will require additional light for near activities. Despite these visual disturbances patients with this IOL are so pleased with their vision that over 93% say they would have the AcrySof ReStor IOL implanted again.
With over 60 million AcrySof ReStor IOLs used to date, it has been shown to improve many aspects of patients’ lives after cataract surgery.
AcrySof Toric® IOL
The AcrySof Toric IOL is an IOL that can be implanted during cataract surgery for patients with astigmatism. If you have astigmatism and chose the standard monofocal IOL, you will need glasses or contact lenses after cataract surgery to see clearly because the standard monofocal IOL does not correct corneal astigmatism. The unique design of the AcySof Toric IOL reduces or eliminates corneal astigmatism and significantly improves uncorrected distance vision.
The Toric IOL platform has been implanted in over 70 million eyes worldwide. The AcrySof Toric IOL offers freedom from glasses or contact lenses for distance, however, you will still require glasses for near vision activities.
Asymmetric steepening of the cornea or natural lens causes the light in the eye to become focused unevenly, which is the result of astigmatism. The Toric IOL will help to improve blurry images also caused by astigmatism.