Clear Lens and Cataract Surgery
The intraocular lens of the eye is naturally transparent. Any clouding of this clear focusing lens within the eye is referred to as a cataract. This process is usually age-related and leads to loss of vision that cannot be corrected with glasses. Cataract formation is not a disease or a growth. It is simply the opacification of this lens. The most common type is related to aging and more than half of all Americans age 65 and older have a cataract. Less commonly, cataract formation occurs in younger patients due to trauma, inflammation, familial traits or diseases such as diabetes.
In the early stages, stronger lighting and eyeglasses may lessen vision problems associated with cataracts. Eventually, surgery will be needed to improve vision. Today, cataract surgery is safe and very effective. When the cataract begins to interfere with the level of sight needed for activities of daily living such as driving and reading, it is time to remove the cloudy lens and replace it with an intraocular implant.
The most common symptoms of a cataract include decreased night vision, glare in bright light (especially back-lighting conditions), halos and glare with headlights at night, difficulty with small print and frequent changes in the spectacle correction with disappointing results. Only a careful examination can determine if a cataract or another condition is causing these symptoms.
When a cataract is small, you may not notice any changes in your vision. Cataracts tend to grow slowly, so vision gets worse gradually. Some people with a cataract find that their close-up vision without glasses suddenly improves, but this is temporary. Vision is likely to get worse again as the cataract grows. No medicine, vitamins, eye drops or other alternative treatments have proven to be successful in treating cataractous changes in the eye.
Cataract surgery is the most commonly performed surgery in the United States. In expert hands, it is a highly successful procedure with nearly all patients benefiting from improved vision. Complication rates are low and the visual results are typically immediate and often dramatic.
Dr. Auker performs cataract surgery by the most modern techniques available anywhere. The lens is removed and replaced with a foldable implant through a tiny incision in the clear cornea under local anesthetic in a painless procedure that is completed in minutes. Learn more about the details of cataract surgery.
FAQ
What is the lens?
The lens is the part of the eye that helps focus light on the retina. The retina is the eye's light-sensitive layer that sends visual signals to the brain. In a normal eye, light passes through the lens and gets focused on the retina. To help produce a sharp image, the lens must remain clear.
What is a cataract?
The lens is made mostly of water and protein. The protein is arranged to let light pass through and focus on the retina. Sometimes some of the protein clumps together. This can start to cloud small areas of the lens, blocking some light from reaching the retina and interfering with vision. This is a cataract.
In its early stages, a cataract may not cause a problem. The cloudiness may affect only a small part of the lens. However, over time, the cataract may become more extensive and cloud more of the lens, making it harder to see. Because less light reaches the retina, your vision may become dull and blurry. A cataract won't spread from one eye to the other, although many people develop cataracts in both eyes.
What causes cataracts?
Cataracts can be related to aging, family history, smoking, excessive ultraviolet exposure, trauma, as well as diseases such diabetes or inflammation within the eye. Cataracts can also develop at an earlier age in those who have needed to take steroid medications for medical conditions such as asthma or rheumatoid arthritis. Congenital cataracts can impair visual development in newborns or simply predispose one to developing symptomatic cataracts at a younger age.
How is a cataract detected?
Dr. Auker will examine the entire eye through a dilated pupil to confirm the diagnosis of a cataract. Additional testing will be conducted at the time of the initial visit and subsequently. If cataract surgery is indicated, it can usually be scheduled in the near future.
When a cataract begins to develop, it may be necessary to replace one’s glasses more frequently. Often, the eye becomes more near-sighted prior to significant clouding of the lens. Brighter lighting and increased magnification can help one adapt to the decreased visual functioning caused by a developing cataract. Avoiding night driving is another adaptation. When one’s quality of life is changed by these adaptations, it is time to consider definitive treatment. Cataract Surgery.
What can you do to protect your vision?
Although we don't know how to protect against cataracts, people over the age of 60 are at risk for many vision problems. If you are age 60 or older, you should have an eye examination through dilated pupils at least every 1 to 2 years. This kind of exam allows Dr. Auker to check for signs of age-related macular degeneration, glaucoma, cataracts, and other vision disorders.
