Frequently Asked Questions
How does it work? Typically this operation is done on an outpatient basis, under local anesthesia, so you can go home the same day as the surgery. While you will be awake during surgery, you will not have to worry about keeping your eye open—and you will not be able to see the actual surgery. Although cataracts may develop simultaneously in both eyes, your surgeon will operate on one eye and allow it to heal before operating on the other. Assuming the eye is otherwise healthy, cataract surgery improves vision in 90% of cases. Cataracts may form again, but not for years, or even decades.
Will it correct your vision? Assuming the eye is otherwise healthy, cataract surgery improves vision in 90% of cases. Cataracts may form again, but not for years, or even decades.
What are the symptoms of cataracts? Common symptoms of cataracts include: • Painless blurring of vision • Frequent prescription changes for corrective lenses • Glare and haloes • Colors looking dull and brownish • Poor night vision • Both sensitivity to light and finding lighting too dim
What causes cataracts? Cataracts are a degenerative form of eye disease in which the lens gradually becomes opaque and vision mists over. While cataracts can occur as the result of other eye diseases, they mostly develop due to age. In fact, it is believed that everyone would have cataracts if we lived long enough. Currently, cataracts are the leading cause of blindness among adults in the United States.
Are there other causes of cataracts? Less common causes of cataracts include: • Heredity • Associated birth defects • Chronic disease, such as diabetes • Excessive use of steroid medications • Eye injury
Can cataracts be prevented? While there is no way to prevent cataracts, there are several things you can do to limit or slow their formation. For instance, unstable molecules, known as free radicals, can damage cells in the eye, potentially causing problems such as cataracts. Studies have shown that antioxidant vitamins and minerals may help combat free radicals. Also, protecting your eyes from strong sunlight may slow the formation of age-related cataracts. There are no medications, eye drops, exercises, or glasses that will cause cataracts to disappear. However, they can be successfully treated with surgery. To us, looking at something seems simple. But the eye is an extremely complex organ, relying on an intricate interconnection of signals to transmit data from the outside world to the brain. Discover how the eye works.
