4 things to know about dropless cataract surgery

Tower Clock Eye Center prides itself on being on the cutting edge of ophthalmologic technology and techniques. Our practice model allows us to readily adopt new procedures and equipment; one of the most innovative areas of our care comes in the way of dropless cataract surgery. In standard cataract surgery, patients are prescribed several eyedrops, each to be taken several times a day for weeks following surgery.

Dropless cataract surgery has changed that.

Dropless cataract surgery consists of a one-time dose of all the medicine the eye needs at the time of surgery, eliminating weeks of post-surgery eye drops. The medication includes antibiotics and steroids that the eye needs to properly ward off infection and heal. Ninety-five percent of all patients are good candidates for dropless cataract surgery.

The dropless technique has many advantages for the patient over standard cataract surgery. Below are four reasons you should consider dropless cataract surgery with us.

Cost – In standard cataract surgery, patients are usually prescribed three eye drop medications to be taken for several weeks after surgery. These prescriptions will cost several hundred dollars, which can be a financial burden to the cataract surgery population. Facing these issues may cause patients to stretch their drops to avoid refills – which can result in complications. Dropless cataract surgery replaces post-surgery eye drops by delivering the needed medications at the time of surgery – all at a drastically lower cost.

Medication anxiety – Cataracts usually affect older populations, and the routine schedule of drops for up to six weeks can be a challenge. Among the biggest draws for dropless is the reduced anxiety associated with it. Many patients are afraid they will have trouble using the drops, and with the dropless procedure they no longer have to worry. Also, some patients often do not take medication as prescribed, or they forget to take them at the directed intervals. Yet other patients have physical issues and may not be able to give themselves the medications at all. Dropless cataract surgery eliminates the reliance on the patient to take the required medication, which allows for a focus on recovery, not eye drops.

Reduced confusion – The dropless procedure vastly reduces patient post-surgery directions and minimizes the confusion from having several eye drops required at differing times. Having the one-time dosage of medication results in fewer calls to doctors, nurses and pharmacists about patients’ prescriptions.

Lower infection rate – Dropless cataract surgery offers a reduced risk for endophthalmitis, an inflammation and infection of the internal parts of the eye. The medication delivered with the dropless technique is placed where infections typically take hold, the vitreous. Topical eye drops are unable to fight infection as effectively. By administering the medication directly into the vitreous, the risk of infections is greatly reduced.

Studies on the dropless technique show it to be both safe and very effective. The advantages dropless cataract surgery has for patients is the primary reason the surgeons at Tower Clock Eye Center offer the procedure. The majority of patients are good candidates for dropless surgery. To learn more about dropless cataract surgery at Tower Clock Eye Center, or to see if you it is right for you, please call (920) 499-3102 to schedule an appointment.

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