Cataract Surgery Guides
CONTACT A DOCTORCataract Surgery
When the lens of your eye becomes clouded, cataract surgery is usually recommended. Cataracts can increase the glare from light and cause blurred vision. Talk to a board-certified ophthalmology doctor about this common procedure and if it's a good option for you.
How is Cataract Surgery Performed?
During the procedure, the cataract will be removed, and in many cases your lens will be replaced with a clear, artificial lens. First, eye drops placed in your eye will dilate your pupil. A local anesthetic will be applied to the area, and you may be sedated for comfort. Your surgeon may use an ultrasound probe to break up the clouded lens to be removed. The ultrasound probe is inserted through a tiny incision, and the fragments of the broken-up cataract are suctioned out. The back of the lens is left in place, and an artificial lens is attached if needed.
In a different procedure, your surgeon makes a larger incision and cuts away the cataract. A small, suctioning device removes unneeded areas of the lens. The back of the lens is left to be joined with an artificial lens. Stitches will close the incision. The clear, artificial lens is made up of plastic, acrylic or silicone and is placed into the lens capsule, from where the cataract was removed.
After surgery, protecting your eye is of the utmost importance. Prescription medicine may be taken for pain, and you may need to wear a patch over your eye for protection. Your vision should improve a few days after the operation, and you should be completely healed in eight weeks.
Advantages of Cataract Surgery
- Widely performed procedure
- Safe
- Restored vision
Disadvantages of Cataract Surgery
- Risk of inflammation and infection
- Swelling/bleeding/pain
- Risk of detached retina and/or glaucoma
- Cataract may reappear
If cataracts make it difficult for you to lead a normal life, talk with a board-certified ophthalmologist about treatment options.
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Is IntraLase a Safer Alternative for Your Eyes?
Choosing LASIK surgery for vision correction is not the same as it was 10 or 12 years ago. In 1994, when Baltimore ophthalmologist Anthony Kameen had LASIK surgery to correct nearsightedness and astigmatism, his options were not very extensive: a small mechanical blade, called a microkeratome, created a flap on his cornea, after which a conventional excimer laser was used to reshape the tissue underneath so that the cornea would be able to focus light directly on the retina, as it would in a normal eye. That was, in a nutshell, the only way LASIK was performed then. Now, of course, the technology is much more advanced including smoother and more precise lasers, allowing patients to achieve better vision than ever possible before. The newest technological addition to Dr. Kameen's refractive surgery office is a machine called IntraLase, which allows patients to avoid operation via a metal blade, using a special laser that is used only for the purpose of flap creation.
Minimally Invasive, No-Stitch Cataract Surgery
If you are experiencing blurred/ hazy vision, spots in front of the eye(s), sensitivity to glare, and/or a feeling of “film” over the eye(s), there is a good chance you are experiencing symptoms of a cataract. A cataract is a cloudy area in the lens in the front of the eye, which is normally clear and usually there is no pain associated with the condition.
New LocateADoc Advisory Board Member: Konrad Filutowski, M.D.
Konrad Filutowski, M.D., Founder, Chief Surgeon and Medical Director, Filutowski Cataract & LASIK Institute, Orlando/Lake Mary/Daytona, FL. Dr. Filutowski received his medical degree from Columbia College, NY. He is a member of the American Academy of Ophthalmology and the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery.
Cosmetic and plastic surgery procedures that involves extensive incisions and skin grafting often require weeks and months of recovery, especially when the surgeon uses sutures to hold the tissues in place.
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Procedure Snapshot
- Avg. Cost: $3000
- Candidate: Severe vision changes due to cataract
- Length: 1 hour
- Treatment: One
- Results: Long-lasting
- Back to Work: 1-7 days
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