When should surgery be done?
Surgery should be considered when cataracts cause enough loss of vision to interfere with your daily activities. It is not true that cataracts need to be "ripe" before they can be removed or that they need to be removed just because they are present. Cataract surgery can be performed when your visual needs require it. You must decide if you can see well enough to do your, drive safely, and read or watch TV in comfort. Does your vision allow you to perform daily tasks, such as cooking, shopping, doing yard work or taking medications without difficulty? Based on your symptoms, you and your ophthalmologist should decide together when surgery is appropriate.
What can I expect from cataract surgery?
Over 1.4 million people have cataract surgery each year in the United States, and more than 95% of those surgeries are performed with no complications. During cataract surgery, which is usually performed under local or topical anesthesia as an outpatient procedure, the cloudy lens is removed from the eye. In most cases, the focusing power of the natural lens is restored by replacing it with a permanent intraocular lens implant. Your ophthalmologist performs this delicate surgery using a microscope, miniature instruments and other modern technology. More information is available at the Medem website, or call us at 920-499-3102 to make an appointment.
Deluxe Intraocular Lenses
ReSTOR® Lens
Flexible IOLs have been used for years to help patients enjoy clear vision after cataract surgery. The advanced ReSTOR® lens improves upon ordinary IOLs by providing a full range of focusing distances. A series of 12 gradual "step heights" create seamless focusing ability from near to far, while the edge of the IOL enhances distance vision. A feature called apodization also helps the eye distribute light evenly in different lighting conditions. Best of all, up to 80% of patients who use the ReSTOR® lens don't need glasses or contact lenses after surgery.
Crystalens® IOLs
The crystalens® is an intraocular lens (IOL) that replaces the eye's natural lens to improve vision in adults with cataracts, presbyopia, or aging or rigid lenses. Approved by the FDA, crystalens® works naturally with muscles in the eye to retain the eye's ability to "accommodate" to shift focus between nearby and distant objects after surgery. With other IOLs, patients lose this ability and require further vision correction with glasses or contact lenses.
Tecnis® IOL
Manufactured by Pfizer Inc., the Tecnis® IOL was designed to provide cataract surgery patients with high-quality vision comparable to that of young people. Its main concern is improving safety with vision correction. It is meant to improve functional vision - the ability to see objects in varying light conditions - especially at night and twilight and in rain, snow and fog. This means improved night vision and reduction of spherical aberrations, an undesirable scattering of light that is a common side effect of cataract surgery.
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