Cataract Surgery

What is a Cataract?

With age, the natural lens of your eye slowly becomes cloudy. This is called a cataract. It is a normal process and starts when you are very young. Your lens is like an onion, gradually getting thicker and cloudier with age. Some people’s lenses become cloudy more quickly and can require surgery as early as in their late 30′s or 40′s, while others may not need surgery until they are in their 70′s, 80′s or even 90′s.

Overview of the Eye

Think of your eye as a camera. In order for a camera to function, you need a lens to focus the light onto the film. Your natural lens, which is located inside your eye, is like the lens of a camera. It focuses the light on the film of your eye, which is called the retina.

Lens Options

Dr. Patodia is pleased to offer five lens options. He will sit down with you, one on one, and discuss your best choice. See the different lens options available to you.

Pre-Operative Measurements (Before Surgery)

Corneal Map

Corneal topography is a computerized, three dimensional imaging process that provides detailed information about the surface contour of the cornea.

IOL Master

A non-contact optical device that measures the distance from the corneal vertex to the retinal pigment epithelium by partial coherence interferometry, the IOL Master is consistently accurate to within ±0.02 mm or better.

Immersion and A Constant

The Immersion measures the length of the eye using an ultrasound. This measurement is standard and is provided for all lens types.

Operation

Post-Operative Care (After Surgery)

Yag CAP

After surgery, some patients notice a clouding or blurring of vision in the surgical eye. This laser creates an opening in the capsular bag to allow for return of clarity of vision. The procedure takes only minutes and is painless.

What is vitreolysis?

Also known as floater laser treatment, vitreolysis is a non-invasive, pain-free procedure that can eliminate the visual disturbance caused by floaters. The goal of vitreolysis is to achieve a “functional improvement”. That is, to allow you to return to “normal” day-to-day activities without the hindrance of floaters.

How does vitreolysis work?

Vitreolysis involves the application of nanosecond pulses of laser light to evaporate the vitreous opacities and to sever the vitreous strands. During this process, the floater’s collagen and hyaluronin molecules are converted into a gas. The end result is that the floater is removed and/or reduced to a size that no longer impedes vision.

What happens during the procedure?

Vitreolysis is performed as an outpatient procedure; you do not have to stay overnight in a hospital. Immediately prior to treatment, your ophthalmologist will administer eye drops to provide mild anesthesia. A contact lens will then be placed on your eye, with the laser light delivered through a specially designed microscope. During treatment, you will likely observe small, dark specks/shadows – signaling that the floaters are being evaporated into small gas bubbles. These gas bubbles quickly dissolve and reabsorb into the vitreous. Once the treatment is complete, your ophthalmologist may treat your eyes with anti-inflammatory drops. Each treatment session typically takes 20-60 minutes to perform and most patients will need to undergo two treatment sessions, sometimes three, in order to achieve a satisfactory result.

What can I expect after treatment?

You may observe small, dark specks in your lower field of vision immediately following treatment, but these small gas bubbles will quickly dissolve. It is also important to note that some patients may experience mild discomfort, redness or temporarily blurred vision directly following treatment.

Complications and side effects

Reported side effects and complications associated with vitreolysis are rare. Side effects may include cataract and intraocular pressure (IOP) spike.

Who will benefit from vitreolysis?

It is necessary to undergo an ophthalmic examination to determine your eligibility for vitreolysis treatment.
• Age. In most cases, younger patients (<45) suffer from microscopic floaters located close to the retina (1-2 mm) and are not considered to be good candidates for vitreolysis treatment.
• Onset of Symptoms: If your floater symptoms develop very quickly then they may be associated with PVD, which can be treated with vitreolysis.
• Floater Characteristics. Large floaters with a soft border, situated away from the retina, are ideally suited to treatment with vitreolysis

Types of Eye Floaters

Eye floaters are small pieces of debris that float in the eye’s vitreous humor. This debris casts shadows onto the retina (the light-sensitive tissue layer at the back of the eye). If you have eye floaters, it is these shadows that you see “floating” across your field of vision.

Fibrous Strand Floater: Most common in young people, this thin, dense floater can appear as multiple dots and/or string-like cobwebs and is a result of clumping of the collagen fibers of the vitreous. Depending on size, and where it is located, it may be treatable with vitreolysis.

Diffuse Floater: This cloud-like floater is caused by the natural aging process. Whilst this type of floater can sometimes be treated with vitreolysis, it often requires more overall treatment in order to obtain satisfactory results.

Weiss Ring Floater: The ring-shaped Weiss Ring floater is a large, fibrous floater that is usually located safely away from the crystalline lens and the retina. Because of this, it can be treated safely and effectively with vitreolysis.

Meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD) is a common eye condition, yet many people don't realize they have it. You get it when there's a problem with a few dozen tiny glands in your eyelids that help make the oil layer of your tears. The most common type, obstructive MGD, happens when the gland openings get clogged, and less and less oil reaches the eye surface.

Lipiflow - What is Lipiflow? The Lipiflow procedure is a curative procedure where a device that produces heat and mild lid pressure is applied to the patient's eyelids (most patients state it feels like an eyelid massage), so that the blocked lipids will flow back normally into the tear fill.