A WORD ABOUT CATARACTS LEWISTON EYE SURGEON LECTURE
STRAIGHT ON AND SIDE VIEW OF A PATIENT WITH CATARACTS
* Note the cloudy gray lens.
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A Word About Cataracts
Cataract surgery is the most commonly performed surgical procedure in the
USA today with well over a million people annually enjoying the benefits of this
modern day miracle. The surgery is highly successful with the vast majority of
patients enjoying return of clear vision within a few weeks of the procedure. At
Wolf Eye Associates Dr. Wolf performs between 15-30 cataract surgeries per week,
and as such, he is the most experienced cataract surgeon in Maine. The Wolf Eye
Ambulatory Surgery Center is the only such facility in Central Maine, and
patients having cataract surgery performed at the Eye Ambulatory Surgery Center
can avoid the inconvenience of hospital based surgery with pre-op lab testing,
inconvenient scheduling, and prolonged waiting in the hospital until its your
turn for surgery. At Wolf Eye Surgery Center the average time from arrival until
discharge is only 90 minutes!
A cataract is a clouding of the focusing lens within the eye (see diagram) which
occurs most often due to aging. More often than not it involves both eyes
Patients with cataract complain of glare with night driving, difficulty reading
and TV. watching, and generally a feeling that the glasses are just not right
because vision is not clear. Treatment of cataract involves removing the cloudy
lens and replacing it with a clear plastic lens which will focus light on the
film (retina) at the back of the eye and restore clear useful vision. Glasses
typically are required after conventional, cataract surgery to fine tune the focusing,
although some patients may be happy with their distant vision without glasses.
Within the past couple of years a new technology has become
available in relation to cataract surgery which offers a great benefit.
The conventional implanted plastic lens replacing the cataract has only a single
focal point. That means glasses are typically required to see at different
distances after cataract surgery such as for watching TV, reading, driving,
shopping, etc. A new lens known as the Crystalens can
actually change shape and focus for the patient, not unlike how it was when the
patient was in his/her 20's or 30"s! This typically means no need for
glasses for most activities following cataract surgery! It's not a
fountain of youth, but getting close! Should Dr. Wolf determine that you
may benefit from cataract surgery he will discuss this new technique with you
during your examination. Progress marches forward!
At Wolf Eye Associates should you be found at examination to need cataract
surgery all arrangements for the procedure can be conveniently made right at the
time of your exam. There is no need to return for special testing or to meet
with anesthesia personnel on a different day.
When you return for your surgery no intravenous sedation (no needle in the arm)
is typically required. Instead, a sedative is squirted under your tongue and it
is absorbed into your system making you quite relaxed. (In fact, this technique
was first proposed by Dr. Wolf and published nationally). The actual operation
is also performed without any needles whatsoever since Dr. Wolf uses an
anesthetic jelly spread over the eye to make it completely numb before surgery.
The incision, performed under an operating microscope, is so small that no
stitches are typically required, and this generally results in a quite
comfortable eye after surgery. The operation itself takes about 15 minutes to
perform (15,000 cataracts ago when Dr. Wolf performed his first procedure it
took over two hours to complete!).
Following the procedure you may return home in about 20 minutes. A clear plastic
shield is worn for the first day only over the operated eye as a reminder to
keep one’s hands away to prevent infection. You may be up and about, and routine
daily activities are generally not curtailed. You should not drive a car,
however, until given the OK by the doctor. If your second eye is to have surgery
it will typically be performed 1 week after the first eye. Two weeks later eye
glasses will be prescribed, and the vast majority of patients will then see well
once again.
At the Wolf Eye Associates Ambulatory Surgery Center we take extra care to insure that your operation is anxiety free, comfortable, and very successful. “There was nothing to it” is a phrase heard over and over by satisfied patients on the day after surgery during their post operative check up. We hope you’ll say the same should you require our services!
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