Are you or a family member struggling with vision due to cataracts? If so, you may want to consider cataract surgery and the replacement of your eye’s natural lens with a premium intraocular lens. Cataract surgery is safe, minimally invasive, and the recovery time is fast. Regardless, it can be nerve-wracking to think about a surgeon cutting into your eye to replace your lens. If you’re thinking about cataract surgery, it’s natural to be curious about how your eyes will function after your procedure. At Goel Vision, we pride ourselves on providing our patients with premium intraocular lenses during cataract surgery, positively affecting the quality of your vision for years to come. We’re here to help you understand the entire process of cataract surgery and provide information including the placement of a premium intraocular lens.
PREMIUM INTRAOCULAR LENSES (IOL) – MONOFOCAL, MULTIFOCAL, & TORIC IOLS
BENEFITS OF PREMIUM INTRAOCULAR LENSES
The benefits of these a premium IOL is incredible, natural vision rapidly after cataract or RLE surgery. They are inert and last for the remainder of the patient’s life. Premium intraocular lenses are now able to correct for either near or far vision or a combination of both. Astigmatism can also be corrected with premium IOLs. If you make the choice to have cataract surgery, it’s likely that you’ve been struggling with your vision for years. The placement of premium intraocular lenses after your cataract surgery will give you a new lease on life. You’ll be able to see clearly for the first time in years, allowing you to return to many of the activities you thought were no longer possible. Some of our patients who thought driving was a thing of the past are able to get behind the wheel again. You’ll be able to see your family with a renewed sense of focus. Life is too short to miss out on seeing the things that bring you joy.
RESULTS AFTER PREMIUM INTRAOCULAR LENSES
Advanced technology and techniques have enabled surgeons to effectively correct nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism with cataract and RLE surgery, reducing the need for prescription eyeglasses or contact lenses after surgery — like the effects of LASIK and other elective refractive surgery performed on eyes without cataracts. While some people still might need eyeglasses or contact lenses after the placement of premium intraocular lenses, the prescription is usually much lower. You’ll also find that your vision improves during the times when you aren’t wearing glasses or corrective contact lenses. The use of laser-assisted surgery and modern multifocal IOLs can also reduce the need for reading glasses after cataract surgery, making it easier for you to enjoy reading without having to worry about finding your glasses.
UNDERSTANDING HOW CATARACT SURGERY AFFECTS THE NATURAL LENS
Cataracts form for a number of different reasons, but for most people, they’re a natural part of the aging process. Your eye’s natural lens is located directly behind your iris (the colored part of your eye). The lens works to allow your eye to focus on objects, much like the lens in a camera when it takes a picture. Over time, the lens becomes less flexible. As the lens ages, proteins within the lens may clump together, forming cloudy areas on the lens. These areas are known as cataracts. Sometimes, cataracts are small, and may not cause any visual impairment. Over time, cataracts tend to become worse, making it harder and harder to see.
As the cataract grows, the cloudy area of the lens becomes larger. The cataract will also become more dense, decreasing clear vision. Normally, your natural lens allows light to pass through to the retina, allowing your eye to send a clear picture of the world around you to your brain. A cataract distorts the lens, making it harder for you to see the world around you. This can result in blurry images, a yellowing of colors, an increased need for light, sensitivity to light, and other problems.
While the deterioration of the natural lens is a normal part of the aging process, you don’t have to live with vision loss due to cataracts. Premium intraocular lenses are a great option for restoring your vision in a safe, permanent way.
VISION CORRECTION DURING CATARACT DURING CATARACT SURGERY
When you have your cataract surgery procedure, your natural lens will be replaced with an artificial lens. Our premium intraocular lenses are safe and will allow you to see clearly for the first time in years. These lenses don’t require any maintenance- the lens that is placed in your eye stays with you for a lifetime. Many patients are amazed at how quickly they’re able to see after their cataract surgery procedure. Patients no longer need to rely on eyeglasses or contact lenses as much as they once did.
Cataract surgery is done on an outpatient basis. It’s a minimally invasive procedure that carries few risks, and most people find that recovery time is short. While some discomfort is expected to be in the hours and days following the surgery, you’ll notice that as your discomfort fades, your vision will improve. Many people who have had cataract surgery agree that the short period of discomfort is well worth the long-lasting ability to see (and the convenience of not having to deal with glasses or contact lenses) following cataract surgery.
If you have cataracts in both eyes, don’t worry- you won’t have to go through healing from two different surgeries at the same time. Our eye surgeon will evaluate your eye conditions and schedule your first cataract surgery. After your eye has healed, you’ll come in to be evaluated for a second time, and we’ll schedule your second cataract surgery. This means that one of your premium intraocular lenses will be placed before the other. Since the procedure is minimally invasive and has a short recovery time, it won’t take long to heal from two separate surgeries. You may have a time period during which you need eyeglasses or contact lenses to correct the vision of only one eye. You may need a new prescription for contact lenses or eyeglasses while your other eye heals. Our eye doctor will talk with you to make sure that your multifocal lens or distance vision needs are met while your eyes heal from surgery.
WHAT ARE PREMIUM INTRAOCULAR LENSES?
Premium intraocular lenses are placed in the eye during cataract surgery to replace a cloudy lens that has been affected by cataracts. Intraocular lenses are FDA approved and have been found to be safe when placed in the eye for long periods of time. After the placement of a premium intraocular lens, patients find that they’re able to see clearly for decades. Cataracts cannot form on artificial lenses, so after you have cataract surgery and have an artificial lens implanted, your struggles with cataracts are gone for good.
When you come in for your consultation and cataract evaluation, our surgeon will talk with you about the type of premium intraocular lenses that make the most sense for your vision and eye conditions. We’ll work with you and provide information to figure out whether you need a multifocal lens, or if you solely need to focus on distance vision. No matter what your needs, we’ll find a premium IOL that works best for your vision.
MONOFOCAL IOLS
Monofocal IOLs were the first type of IOL to be developed. This type of intraocular lens offers vision correction at only one distance. While they certainly provide improved vision for former cataract sufferers, they do not allow your eye to adjust to points of focus at multiple distances. Typically, you will still need to still wear glasses for reading and computer distances. For people who need vision correction for more than just distance vision such as astigmatism, there are other, newer options on the market today.
MULTIFOCAL IOLS
Multifocal IOLs, or advanced technology premium intraocular lenses, allow your eye to focus at various distances. Multifocal lenses not only provide distance vision correction, but they also correct presbyopia, or the inability to focus on close objects near you. Much like bifocals or multifocal contact lenses, multifocal IOLs work to correct both near and farsightedness. During your evaluation for cataract surgery, we’ll do an exam of your eyes to determine if multifocal IOLs are the best type of premium intraocular lenses for your vision correction needs. Most people who get cataract surgery find that multifocal IOLs are the best option for allowing them to see clearly. After your multifocal IOLs are implanted, it’s likely that you’ll find you no longer need glasses or contact lenses to read, see the computer, or participate in other activities that require you to switch quickly between focusing on objects that are near you and objects that are far away.
TORIC IOLS
Toric IOLs are used to also correct astigmatism, as well as near and farsightedness. Before toric IOLs were available, cataract surgery was a complicated process for people with astigmatism. Now, the process of correcting cataracts for people with astigmatism is simple. Toric IOLs are much like toric contact lenses, in that they offer different powers throughout the lens. Before you have cataract surgery, the eye surgeon will make markings on the cornea. These markings are temporary. They allow the surgeon to perfectly align the toric IOL in order to correct your astigmatism, allowing you to see clearly. If you find that your vision still isn’t where you want it to be after you have cataract surgery and implantation of a toric IOL, LASIK may be an option to further correct your astigmatism. It’s recommended that you wait a few weeks to allow your eye to fully heal before pursuing other vision correction options.
TREATING EYE CONDITIONS AT GOEL VISION
At Goel Vision, we understand that your eyes are unique, and we don’t believe in a one fits all approach to patient care. It’s important to us to provide each of our patients with a unique, quality surgical plan and premium IOL that makes sense to best fit your personal needs. Our eye surgeon, Dr. Sonny Goel, has been providing laser eye surgery to our patients for more than twenty years. When you come to see us for your initial cataract evaluation, we’ll talk with you about the state of your eyes. We’ll go over the different options for vision correction with premium intraocular lenses. We’re here to help guide you through the process of your cataract surgery, provide good information, and answer any questions that you may have. It’s our goal to help you regain as much vision as possible to increase your independence, efficiency, and overall quality of life when going about your normal daily activities. When it’s time to choose a good surgeon to operate on your eyes, it’s important that you choose someone you can trust. At Goel Vision, we’re proud to offer our patients premium, state of the art care, utilizing the latest and best in eye care technology. Feel free to give us a call to set up a consultation to learn more about the cataract surgery process.
