1. CATARACT Therapy

2. Treatment
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Make sure that eyeglasses or contact
lenses are the most accurate
prescription possible
Improve the lighting in your home with
more or brighter lamps
When outside during the day, wear
sunglasses to reduce glare
Limit night driving

3. 
Think about how the cataract affects your
daily life
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Can you see to do your job and drive safely
Do you have problems reading or watching
television?
Is it difficult to cook, shop, climb stairs or take
medications?
How active are you? Does lack of vision affect
your level of independence?
Are you afraid you'll trip or fall or bump into
something?

4. 
Sometimes a cataract should be
removed even if it doesn't cause major
problems with vision
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If it is preventing the treatment of another
eye problem, such as age-related macular
degeneration, diabetic retinopathy or
retinal detachment

5. 
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If you have cataracts in both eyes and
decide to have surgery, your eye doctor
typically removes the cataract in one
eye at a time
This allows time for the first eye to heal
before the second eye surgery

6. 
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Cataract surgery is the most common
operation performed on patients over 65
years of age
More than 95% of patients have improved
vision after surgery
Benefits include improvement in uncorrected
and best-corrected visual acuity, improved
binocularity, depth perception, and increased
peripheral vision to enhance patients' ability
to drive, read, work, and manage their own
medications

7. 
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Advances in surgical technique and more
sophisticated technology have helped make
surgery a safe and effective treatment for
cataracts
Prior to surgery, your eye doctor measures
the size and shape of your eye to determine
the proper lens implant power
This measurement is made with a painless
ultrasound test

8. 
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Cataract surgery is
typically an outpatient
procedure that takes
less than an hour
Most people are awake
and need only local
anesthesia
On rare occasions
some people may need
general anesthesia if
they have difficulty
laying flat or have
claustrophobia

9. 
Two things happen
during cataract surgery
— the clouded lens is
removed, and a clear
artificial lens is
implanted

10. Phacoemulsification
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During
phacoemulsification,
phaco for short, the
surgeon makes a
small incision, where
the cornea meets
the conjunctiva

11. 
The surgeon then
uses the probe,
which vibrates with
ultrasound waves, to
break up (emulsify)
the cataract and
suction out the
fragments

12. 
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Once the cataract is
removed, a clear
artificial lens is
implanted to replace the
original clouded lens
This lens implant is
made of plastic, acrylic
or silicone and becomes
a permanent part of the
eye

13. 
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Some IOLs are rigid
plastic and implanted
through an incision that
requires several stitches
(sutures) to close
However, many IOLs
are flexible, allowing a
smaller incision that
requires no stitches

14. 
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Patients usually go home the same day
Patients are seen in the office the next day,
the following week, and then again after a
month so that he or she can check the
healing progress
It's normal to feel mild discomfort for a couple
of days after surgery
You may wear an eye patch or protective
shield the day of surgery
Your doctor may prescribe medications to
prevent infection and control eye pressure

15. Post-op Course
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Patients are usually examined 1 day, 1
week and then one month after the
surgery date

16. Complications of Surgery
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Vitreous Loss- 3.1%
Vitreous Hemorrhage-0.3%
Uveitis-1.8%
Increased Eye Pressure- 1.2%
Retinal Detachment- 0.7%
Endophthalmitis- 0.13%

17. Post Operative Period
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Contact your doctor immediately if you
experience any of the following signs or
symptoms after cataract surgery:
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Vision loss
Pain that persists despite the use of over-thecounter pain medications
A definite increase in eye redness
Light flashes or multiple spots (floaters) in front of
the eye
Nausea, vomiting or excessive coughing

18. Posterior Subcapsular Opacity
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This condition occurs
when the back of the
lens capsule eventually
becomes cloudy and
blurs vision
PCO can develop
months or years after
cataract surgery
Occurs approx. 20%
percent of the time

19. 
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Treatment for PCO is simple and quick
Laser capsulotomy is a quick, painless
outpatient procedure that usually takes
less than five minutes
Capsulotomy means "cutting into the
capsule" and YAG is an abbreviation of
yttrium-aluminum-garnet, the type of
laser used for the procedure

20. YAG Laser Capsulotomy
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A technique in which
a laser beam is used
to make a small
opening in the
clouded capsule to
let light pass
through

21. Post YAG
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Afterward, patients typically stay in the
doctor's office for about an hour to make sure
the eye pressure is not elevated
In some people, particularly those who have
glaucoma or are extremely nearsighted, YAG
laser surgery can raise eye pressure
Other complications are rare but can include
swelling of the macula and a detached retina

22. 
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Most cataracts occur with age and can't
be avoided altogether
Regular eye exams remain the key to
early detection
You can take steps to help slow or
prevent the development of cataracts

23. 
Do not smoke
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Eat a balanced diet
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Smoking produces free radicals, increasing your
risk of cataracts.
Include plenty of fruits and vegetables.
Ultraviolet light protection since UV light may
contribute to the development of cataracts
Diabetes Control

24. New Frontiers
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Researchers are continuing to explore
new ways to prevent and treat
cataracts, such as developing
medications that would reduce or
eliminate the need for surgery
Until then, cataract surgery is the
method to restore vision