Just the thought that the surgeon fiddles with your eyes can put a chill on most of us. Cataract eye surgery is no exception. But with the development of microsurgical procedures, cataract eye surgery is fast, usually without discomfort, and it will sharply restore your vision to such an extent that you may need eyeglasses to view or read.
First of all, due to the clouding of the lens of the eye, a cataract does not cause blindness, but gradually reduces your eyesight. It does this because it grows out of a small area of cloud cover, which often goes unnoticed over a much larger area of cloud cover that covers the entire lens. At first, you cannot even be aware of the changes in your vision. However, over time, a cataract tends to increase to such an extent that your vision becomes affected.
The good news is that cataract eye surgery has become common (more than one million such operations are performed annually), and this leads to success in almost 100% of cases.
A very simple and simple cataract surgery involves removing a cloud lens and replacing it with a plastic lens.
There are two fundamental approaches to this eye surgery. The first is called phacoemulsification and, as a rule, is the preferred approach to removing cataracts. This is due to the use of sound waves for the destruction of cataracts. Here's how it works: a small incision is made on the side of the cornea (transparent, dome-shaped surface covering the surface of the eye). The tip of the microsurgical instrument is inserted into the eye. This tool radiates high-frequency waves that break the lens into tiny fragments. Then the fragments are removed by suction using the same tool.
The second fundamental approach is called extracapsular surgery. With this approach, a longer incision is made on the side of the cornea, and the core of the cloud lens is removed in one piece. Any remaining lens fragments are removed by suction. Extracapsular surgery requires sutures to close a larger incision and usually take six to eight weeks to properly heal.
In both cases, after the cornea has been removed and replaced with a tiny lens for a prescription called an intraocular lens (IOL). Using a calculated corrective prescription, the IOL clearly focuses light on the retina, which greatly improves vision. The new lens seems completely natural, you will not notice it at all, just as you did not notice your cornea before.
There are two types of intraocular lenses used for cataract surgery: monofocal and multifocal.
Monofocal
When using an implant with a monofocal lens, the lens acts in the same way as your natural lens, except that it cannot adjust the focus. The lens has a shape that provides good vision, either farsightedness or myopia, but the inability to improve both distances. Depending on which range you choose (the most commonly used monofocal lens is used to improve hyperopia), a different viewing distance will require glasses or conventional contact lenses.
Multifocal
With the new multifocal implant with an intraocular lens, you will experience normal vision at all distances, which may eliminate the need for prescription glasses. However, there are some reservations. About 4% of those who receive multifocal lenses experience some night light and halo (spheres of illuminated haze, surrounding light sources). These side effects diminish over time and can be minimized using eye drops or glasses for night driving.
As with any surgery, there can always be complications. Full healing for cataract eye surgery may take several weeks, although you should be able to return to your normal procedure rather quickly. You will probably experience dryness and itching in the eye during the healing process. Be sure to use the prescribed eye drops and carefully follow the instructions of your doctor.
Although cataract eye surgery may seem a bit unnerving, the procedure is usually quick and painless. More importantly, it brings with it a 98% chance of success. Do not let this process scare you. Talk to your ophthalmologist about your specific situation and the best way to improve your vision.
