Frequently Asked Questions

Cataracts

How cataract surgery works

You most likely need cataract surgery if:

• You have been told you have a cataract that hinders your ability to see
• Your vision no longer meets your needs and interferes with daily activities
• Your eyesight can no longer be improved with glasses
• You want something done to improve your vision
• Your eye doctor recommends surgical treatment

The cloudy lens of the eye is gently removed and replaced it with an artificial lens implant to restore clear, bright vision. Usually this procedure is a same-day surgery and takes about 10-20 minutes for the surgeon to complete.

After the tissue around the eye is fully numbed, the surgeon makes a very small opening at the edge of the eye to allow special instruments to reach inside. The surgeon then guides a small ultrasonic probe with a tip that vibrates 40,000-50,000 times per second to gently break up and suction out the cloudy lens material. This procedure known as phacoemulsification (phaco meaning lens and emulsification meaning to break into tiny pieces). A specially selected lens implant (chosen ahead of time based on results from calculations done at a pre-operative appointment) is carefully placed inside where the eye's original lens used to be, and the treatment is complete. The opening into the eye that was created to do the procedure is so small that it heals without any stitches.

Choice of lens implants

When the eye's natural lens is removed during cataract surgery, it is replaced with an artificial lens implant. Today, patients are becoming increasingly involved in selecting the type of lens implant that best meets their needs. Most choose the standard single focus lens implant which gives excellent vision and does not involve any extra costs. However, there are some significant improvements and developments with other lens implant designs in recent years. Focusable lens implants are now available as well as lenses that help correct for astigmatism. Dr. Rudser and the surgeon doing the cataract surgery will help answer your questions, sort through, present and give you a recommendation for the best options for your particular vision needs.

Visual perception photos above of ocular disease come from the NIH website.