Options for Treating Cataracts
Once a cataract has formed, surgical removal of the clouded lens is the only way to restore lost vision. But a cataract can progress very slowly, and, early-stage symptoms can often be addressed with stronger glasses or contacts, brighter lighting, or the use of a magnifying glass. In situations where a cataract exists in combination with one or more diseases or conditions, your doctor also may recommend surgery even if your vision is only mildly impaired. This could happen if your cataract is interfering with the examination or treatment of other parts of the eye.
Cataract Surgery
Cataract surgery is a simple operation where a physician removes the eye’s clouded natural lens and replaces it with an artificial, intraocular lens (IOL). The entire procedure is done on an outpatient basis and usually lasts between 15 and 30 minutes. Patients typically experience little or no pain and return to their normal activities the following day.
Intraocular Lenses
An intraocular lens, or IOL, is an artificial lens made of plastic, silicone or acrylic that performs the function of the eye’s natural lens. Most of today’s IOLs are less than a quarter of an inch in diameter and soft enough to be folded so they can be placed into the eye through a very small incision.
Types of Intraocular Lenses
Monofocal Lenses
Multifocal lenses correct vision at all ranges (near, intermediate and distance).
Accommodative lenses are designed to correct vision at all ranges by responding to the eye’s muscles.
Toric lenses correct astigmatism.
These types of lenses can have additional attributes. IOLs can also be:
Aspheric, correcting spherical aberrations (a change in curvature between the center and edge of the pupil) which results in the blurring of images.
Light-filtering. Many IOLs filter potentially harmful UV and high energy blue light rays, both of which are present in natural and artificial light.
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