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Cataract surgery is an amazingly quick outpatient procedure that can erase years of poor vision. The entire surgical process takes typically 10-15 minutes to perform.
When you decide to move forward with the procedure, it’s normal to feel a little nervous. Most are nervous about cataract surgery and our staff is aware of your concerns and the importance of your sight. Our staff at Schein Ernst Mishra Eye will answer all of your questions and walk through the entire process with you prior to surgery to make sure you feel comfortable and relaxed.
We will ask that you arrive 90 minutes before your surgery time to complete any necessary paperwork, give yourself time to relax and allow our professional staff to prepare you for your cataract surgery.
Dilation eye drops will be placed into your eye and local anesthetics will be given. You will remain awake during the procedure.
Your doctor will use a create a small corneal incision using a blade or laser. A tiny probe will be inserted to gently break up the cloudy lens using ultrasound waves. This is called phacoemulsification. We also offer laser cataract surgery, a blade-free method for cataract removal. You can learn more about this option by clicking here.
Through the same incision, your doctor will insert a replacement intraocular lens (IOL). Depending on the type of vision goals you have after surgery, you may choose a lens to correct distance, near vision or both. Each lens will provide a different level of vision – possibly even reducing or eliminating the need for glasses after surgery.
The incision is about 2mm in size, and will normally heal itself. On a rare occasion your doctor may need to use a stitch to close the incisions, but this occurs in less than 1% of patients. The replacement lens you choose will be permanent and will feel natural in your eye.
After relaxing in our post-op area for a short while and when you are able, you can go home. You will need someone to drive you home after surgery so you can rest for the remainder of the day. We will provide you with sunglasses to protect your eyes from the sun and you may also wear them for about a a week while sleeping as your eye heals to avoid hitting or rubbing your eye
Your vision will be blurry at first and your eye may be itchy or irritated – this is normal. The prescription eye drops will help minimize discomfort. If you experience any loss of vision, contact our office immediately.
Only one eye is treated at a time. If you have cataracts in both eyes, your second eye can be treated after the first has healed (minimum of 2 weeks later).
The best way to know if your cataracts are developed enough to warrant surgery is by scheduling a cataract evaluation. Our informative exam will shed new light on your eye health and will help you learn more about your options for vision improvement.
