Cataract Surgery

Better vision for a better lifestyle

When your doctor tells you that you have a cataract

Cataract: A "clouding" of the lens in your eye. As light passes through the cataractous lens, it is diffused or scattered. The result is blurred or defocused vision.

and it should be removed, it may be frightening to consider. But, once you understand what a cataract is, how it will be removed, and the life-changing benefits cataract surgery can bring, you'll likely wish you'd had the procedure sooner. A cataract can progress until eventually there is a complete loss of vision in your eye, and neither diet nor laser treatment will make a cataract go away. However, cataract surgery can help restore your vision, long before you experience loss of vision significant enough to interfere with your daily activities.

Getting Ready for Surgery

Cataract surgery is one of the safest, most effective types of surgery. It's also one of the most successful.¹ After you and your eye doctor have decided that you will have cataract surgery, your doctor will measure your eye to determine the proper power of the IOL

Intraocular lens (IOL): An artificial lens that is implanted in the eye to replace the eye's clouded crystalline lens during cataract surgery.

that will be placed in your eye during surgery.

Your doctor will then work with you to decide which IOL is best for your visual needs. There are two basic types of IOLs, each designed for a specific corrective function. Monofocal

Monofocal IOL: An intraocular lens that provides patients with only one focal point. Most commonly, these lenses correct only for distance vision.

lenses provide corrective power in only one segment of your visual range (typically distance vision), while multifocal

Multifocal IOL: An intraocular lens that provides patients with multiple focal points, correcting vision at a range of distances.

lenses are designed to correct a range of vision – near through distance. You may be a candidate for the AcrySof® ReSTOR® IOL, which is an advanced type of multifocal IOL. Ask your doctor if the AcrySof® ReSTOR® IOL is right for you.

The Procedure

Cataract surgery is an outpatient procedure that will only take a few hours. When you arrive, your eyes may be treated with eye drops and anesthetic to minimize any discomfort during the operation.

During this routine operation, a small incision is made in the eye. Your surgeon will use a tiny instrument (about the size of a pen tip) to remove your clouded lens. This can be done with either an AquaLase®* device, which uses gentle pulses of fluid to wash away your cloudy lens, or an ultrasonic instrument that breaks up and gently removes your cloudy lens (called phacoemulsification

Phacoemulsification: Also called "phaco," this cataract surgery procedure involves using a device with a vibrating, ultrasonic tip to gently break up the cataract and remove it from the eye.

). Once this is accomplished, your surgeon will insert an artificial intraocular lens (IOL) into your eye.

After Cataract Surgery

After the procedure, you'll be given a short time to rest. Then, the very same day, you can go home. Within the next 24 hours, your doctor will probably want to see you for an evaluation. Drops will be prescribed to guard against infection and to help your eyes heal. For a few days, you may need to wear a clear shield, especially at night, to prevent you from rubbing your eye.

Facts About Cataract. National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services. June 2004.

* The AQUALASE® device uses technology invented by Mark S. Andrew, MD, and Mylina Lincoln-Andrew, MS.