Cataract Surgery
What is a Cataract?
A cataract is the progressive clouding of the natural lens of the eye. This can occur from many different causes (age, disease, genes etc.). When the cataract becomes cloudy enough to interfere with one's vision such that it interferes with daily activities is when it is time to consider cataract surgery to restore functional vision and thus a return to normal daily activities. Our patients should consider cataract surgery in light of the fact that once cataracts are a problem, they will only get worse, and once they are removed, they are gone forever.
What is Cataract Surgery?
Traditional Cataract Surgery
Traditional cataract surgery is one of the most frequently performed surgeries and also one of the most safe and effective, with predictable outcomes.
In traditional cataract surgery, your ECVA surgeon uses a hand-held metal or diamond blade to create an incision in the area where the sclera (the white of the eye) meets the cornea (clear area on top of the eye). Once opened, the surgeon uses special instruments to break up and then gently remove the cataract, which is located right behind the pupil. Next an intraocular lens (IOL) is inserted and implanted, to replace the cloudy natural lens.
Cataract surgery never has to be repeated and the implants last forever. On rare occasions, implants can be exchanged for various reasons but this is a very rare event.
The surgeons of ECVA use state-of-the-art technology when performing cataract surgery.
Learn more about cataract surgery from eyesmart.org.
Laser Cataract Surgery
Using the CATALYS® Precision Laser System, your ECVA surgeon performs many of the steps of cataract surgery using a laser rather than using the traditional hand-held instruments.
Intraocular Lens
Once the cataract is removed, a replacement lens, called an intraocular lens or IOL, is placed in the eye.
