2020 Huntington Dr, San Marino, CA 91108

Cataract Surgery

What Is Cataract Surgery, Types of Cataract Surgeries and How Is Cataract Surgery Done  

[Video: So You’ve Got a Cataract – Health Talk at Crowell Public Library | Dr. David Richardson talks about Cataracts, Cataract Surgery, Types of intraocular lenses, and laser-assisted cataract surgery.]

What Is Cataract Surgery

A cataract is a clouding of the lens in the eye that impedes the passage of light and affects vision. When the clouding blocks enough light and impairs vision to the point where glasses won’t even help, the lens is generally considered to have become a cataract.

A cataract will get worse if not removed. Cataract surgery is the only way to do so.   It involves removing an aging, cloudy eye lens and replacing it with an artificial one, called Intraocular Lens (IOL). The surgery only takes on the average, twenty minutes, and full recovery a month after surgery has been performed.

It’s normally done as an outpatient procedure that uses ultrasound technology. Rarely does it require general anesthesia. Instead, surgeons typically use a local anesthetic to numb the eye as well as a sedative to relieve anxiety.  

Cataract surgery is very quick, often requiring less than half an hour to complete. Another hour is needed to prep you up for surgery. This includes placing drops to dilate your pupil, making it easier for the surgeon to get a clear  view inside your eye. It may take 20 to 60 minutes for your eye to dilate enough for surgery. Be patient. The larger your pupil, the better your surgeon’s view into the eye.  

Cataract Surgery Options

There are three main types of cataract surgery. A good eye doctor will thoroughly discuss with you the differences and help determine which is better for you:

  1. Phacoemulsification, or phaco. A microincision is made at the edge of the cornea (often less than 3 millimeters wide, which is about the size of an average pen tip). The incision is so small that stitches are often unnecessary. The surgeon typically removes the cloudy lens through this tiny incision with an ultrasound-based technique called phacoemulsification.
  2. Extracapsular surgery. A longer incision (usually 10–12 mm) on the side of the cornea is done to remove the cloudy core of the lens in one piece. The rest of the lens is removed by suction. This method may be indicated for patients with very hard cataracts or other situations in which phacoemulsification is not a viable option.
  3. FemtoPhaco. Touted by some as “Laser Cataract Surgery,” it would be more aptly named “Laser Assisted Cataract Surgery.” Among cataract surgeons it is more commonly termed FemtoPhaco as it requires a combination of Femto laser treatment and phacoemulsification to complete the surgery. During laser-assisted cataract surgery a Femtosecond laser is used to perform the initial steps of cataract surgery. These steps are creation of corneal incisions, capsulorrhexis, and “softening” of the cataract. Even when a laser is used, cataract surgery is still primarily done with an ultrasound handpiece (Phaco).  

After the natural lens has been removed, it often is replaced by an artificial lens, called an intraocular lens (IOL). Lens technology has advanced so much that a surgeon must have a good reason not to replace the cataract lens with an artificial lens. Without a lens implant, or an intraocular lens (IOL), you would become very hyperopic (farsighted) and need very thick glasses or contact lenses to see anything clearly.

[GRAPHIC WARNING: THESE VIDEOS CONTAIN ACTUAL EYE SURGERY. VIEWER DISCRETION ADVISED]

Cataract Surgery Video

So, how is cataract surgery done? To give you a fuller grasp of how cataract surgery is done, watch the video playlist on the right.  These are videos of an actual cataract surgery performed by Dr. David Richardson.  These videos show a typical cataract surgery, called phacoemulsifaction.  

Dr. David Richardson has performed thousands of cataract surgeries without the need for laser assistance. Although he finds Femto technology to be interesting he is far from convinced that there is any real benefit to his patients. As such, he has chosen not to recommend this technology to his patients who need cataract surgery.

LATEST UPDATES ON CATARACT SURGERY TECHNOLOGY

The Most Advanced Optical Biometer Is Now at San Marino Eye

The clarity of vision after cataract surgery greatly depends on the quality of measurements made by the surgeon prior to surgery. Dr. Richardson has invested in the most advanced optical biometer available: The ARGOS SS-OCT. With this advanced technology both
Dr. Richardson and his patients with cataracts can feel secure that they are getting the best eye measurements possible prior to choosing an intraocular lens.

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