What is a Cataract? (View Simulator)
Tell Me About Cataract Surgery
Will I be asleep for the surgery?
I have cataracts in both eyes. Will you do surgery on both at the same time?
How long will I be in surgery?
Can I drive myself to and from the surgical center on the day of surgery?
Will I have stitches or have to wear a patch?
After surgery, will I be able to drive at night?
Will I need glasses after cataract surgery?
If I need glasses after cataract surgery, how soon can I get a prescription?
If I elect to have laser vision correction after cataract surgery, how soon can I have it?
Can my cataract come back? Can I develop a cataract after a lens implant?
What are the risks of cataract surgery?
Are there any side effects or anything I may not like?
Can the lens be replaced if it doesn’t work? Does it ever need to be replaced?
Behind the pupil in your eye is a clear lens that’s responsible for focusing light on the retina, and cataract occurs when this lens becomes cloudy. As a result, the amount of light that reaches the retina becomes diminished, and your ability to see clearly becomes compromised. Common symptoms of cataracts include blurry vision, difficulty reading or seeing street signs while driving, glare, and frequent glasses prescription changes. As a leading cause of vision loss in the world, as many as 70% of Americans over the age of 75 and 10% of all Americans suffer from cataracts. Whether you have congenial cataracts, which are present at birth, or secondary cataracts, resulting from other eye diseases, cataracts generally worsen with age.
Cataract surgeries have proven to be among the most successful surgical procedures of any surgery. Over one million cataract surgeries are performed annually in the United States alone. The physicians at Beach Eye Medical Group in Orange County are highly skilled and qualified to diagnose and treat cataracts. We perform no-injection, no-stitch, no-patch cataract surgery.
“No Injection” means the eye is anesthetized with anesthetic eye drops. Eye drop anesthesia allows patients to see better quickly after surgery. Since there are no needles or injections around the eye, the risk of a needle damaging the optic nerve, or eye itself, is eliminated. In addition, eye drop anesthesia is beneficial for patients who are taking blood thinners for the prevention of strokes and blood clots. Our patients can typically continue with their blood thinners, even when having surgery.
“No Stitch” means a self-sealing, microsurgical incision is used. Using a process called “phacoemulsification” to remove the cataract, a small probe enters the eye through a tiny incision, emulsifies or fragments the cataract, and gently vacuums it out. A new intraocular lens (IOL) is placed in the eye to restore vision through this microincision. Most of the time, this tiny self-sealing incision requires no uncomfortable stitches!
“No Patch” means literally just that. Using these advanced techniques, no uncomfortable patches that obstruct vision are necessary. Vision usually returns within several hours to several days after surgery. This is especially important to patients who do not have good vision in their other eye. Many of our patients have resumed many of their normal activities within hours after their cataract surgery.
Q: Does cataract surgery hurt?
A: Because of numbing medications to help you relax, this procedure involves minimal discomfort. It is normal to experience some soreness, foreign body sensation, redness, tearing, and/or light sensitivity for the first 24-48 hours after surgery, but severe pain is rare and should be reported to your doctor right away.
Q: Will I be asleep for the surgery?
A: Since this procedure does not take very long, it is usually unnecessary to put you to sleep with general anesthesia. Instead, we will use topical/local anesthesia to numb the eye and you will remain awake during surgery.
Q: Who performs the procedure?
A: Dr. Shah will perform the procedure. There will not be any students or doctors-in-training that will perform your procedure. There will be a technician and nurse in the room to assist him.
Q: I have cataracts in both eyes. Will you do surgery on both at the same time?
A: No, only one eye will be operated on at a time. Typically, we will perform surgery on the second eye within one month after the first eye. All patients are different and heal at different rates, so talk to your eye doctor about what is appropriate for you.
Back to TopQ: How long will I be in surgery?
A: The surgery itself is very quick and usually lasts less than 30 minutes. However, due to pre-operative preparation and brief post-op recovery, your entire stay in the surgical center will be about 2 to 3 hours.
Q: Can I drive myself to and from the surgical center on the day of surgery?
A: No. Even if you elect not to take the relaxing medication before surgery, your vision will be blurry in the operative eye (due to dilation and anesthesia) and not suitable for driving. You must arrange for transportation to and from the surgical center in Orange County.
Q: Will I have stitches or have to wear a patch?
A: We use the most modern technique for lens implant surgery, which involves a tiny incision that self-seals and does not require stitches. Because we use topical anesthesia that numbs the surface of the eye only, it is not necessary to wear a patch on the operative eye to keep it closed. You will have the ability to blink and close your eyelids.
Q: How long before I can see after surgery?
A: Every patient and eye is different, but patients commonly see well enough to legally drive the day after surgery. Depending on the status of your cataract, your vision will take anywhere from a few hours to a few weeks to fully recover after surgery.
Back to TopQ: What restrictions will I have after cataract surgery? How long until I can return to normal activities?
A: Most patients can resume normal basic activities like reading and watching TV by the next day, and return to work within two to seven days. However, results vary for different patients, so you should ask your doctor if you have questions about specific activities. We usually recommend that the patient avoid rubbing the eye, engaging in activities like sports where an object could hit the eye, and getting dust, dirt or sand into the eye for at least two weeks after surgery. We also advise you to avoid swimming and wearing eye makeup for two weeks after surgery. You may exercise if you avoid letting sweat run directly in your eyes and if you restrict yourself from lifting anything greater than 15 pounds.
Q: Can I go to the hair salon?
A: Yes, just advise your stylist of your recent eye surgery and to take precautions to prevent any chemicals, water or hairspray from getting into your eyes.
Q: After surgery, will I be able to drive at night?
A: Your ability to drive at night should be much enhanced once your cataract is removed. Patients with the ReSTOR™ IOL may notice a ring of light around headlights and other point-light sources. Most patients with any type of IOL notice halos and starbursts around lights for the first few nights after surgery. These are typically mild, rarely bothersome, and tend to diminish with time.
Q: Will I need glasses after cataract surgery?
A: It depends on what type of intraocular lens you elect to have implanted. Most patients who choose monofocal IOL’s may need glasses for distance and will rely on reading glasses for near tasks. If you elect monovision with monofocal IOL’s, you may occasionally need glasses for some near and distant tasks, but may be able to function without glasses the majority of the time. If you elect a multifocal IOL such as the ReSTOR™, you should know that in clinical trials, four out of five patients who received the ReSTOR™ multifocal IOL reported never wearing glasses for distance, intermediate or near tasks after surgery.
Back to TopQ: If I need glasses after cataract surgery, how soon can I get a prescription?
A: The eye typically takes 3-4 weeks to stabilize after IOL implantation. It is recommended that you wait until then to have a prescription made.
Q: If I elect to have laser vision correction after cataract surgery, how soon can I have it?
A: We wait a minimum of 3 months after IOL surgery to give the eye adequate time to heal before performing any additional surgery on it. Your eye doctor will be able to determine when you are ready for laser vision correction.
Q: Can my cataract come back? Can I develop a cataract after a lens implant?
A: No, once a cataract/crystalline lens has been removed it cannot return. Implanted lenses do not cloud over like human lenses. However, over time patients may complain that their vision has once again become cloudy. This fairly common condition, which may occur with any type of IOL, is known as posterior capsular opacification or “PCO”. It may also be referred to as a “secondary cataract” because the visual symptoms are similar to a cataract. If the PCO becomes bothersome, the surgeon can clear it away with a simple laser procedure.
Q:What are the risks of cataract surgery?
A:Every surgery has risks and cataract surgery is no exception. The risk of severe complications, such as infection, severe bleeding during surgery, or retinal detachment are about 1 in 1000. Other, less severe complications of surgery may occur more frequently, as often as 1 in 100 times. These less severe complications can include the need for additional surgery or prolonged recovery time with delayed visual improvement.
This list is not complete and individual patients may have other risks based on their co-existing medical or eye conditions. We have vast experience performing cataract surgery and can fully discuss these risks with you during an office consultation. Contact us to schedule your consultation for cataract surgery. You can also review our cataract surgery consent form for further details by clicking here.
Back to TopQ: Are there any side effects or anything I may not like?
A: There is a small chance that you will experience halos or glare in your vision, but this is uncommon and usually goes away in time. Halos and starbursts around lights at night are common for only the first few days after surgery. Your intermediate vision may not be as crisp as your near and distance vision, however four out of five patients who had the ReSTOR IOL implanted in the clinical study reported never needing glasses following surgery in both eyes. Your physician will help you determine if the ReSTOR IOL is right for you.
Q: Can the lens be replaced if it doesn’t work? Does it ever need to be replaced?
A: Although unlikely, the IOL can be replaced with a different one if needed. However, the IOL is intended to be permanent and does not need to be replaced under normal circumstances.
Q: Who do I call if I have a problem?
A: Contact our office immediately if you have any problem at 714-965-9696, especially if you experience decreased vision or severe pain. If you are calling outside of our normal business hours, you will be put in touch with our doctor on-call. As a patient of ours, you may also go to the HOAG Hospital Emergency Room in Orange County where an on-call ophthalmologist will be available to assist you 7 days a week, 24 hours a day.
