CATARACT SURGERY

If your doctor tells you that you have a cataract and it should be removed, it may be frightening to consider. But, once you understand what a cataract is, how it will be removed, and the life-changing benefits cataract surgery can bring, you’ll likely wish you’d had the procedure sooner. A cataract can progress until eventually there is a complete loss of vision in your eye and neither diet nor medical treatment will make a cataract go away. However, cataract surgery can help restore your vision, and we are excited that you have chosen the Eye Center of Texas for your cataract surgery. We feel it is a great compliment that many local physicians and eye doctors who have had cataracts have chosen our surgeons to perform their own cataract surgery.

Dr. Wade is one of the leading cataract surgeons in the country and does more cataract surgery than any surgeon in the state of Texas. He graduated number one is his medical school class at Baylor College of Medicine and was named Chief Resident at Baylor College of Medicine during his training there. To learn more about Dr. Wade, click Meet Our Doctors. He currently is one of the top 10 surgeons in the country using Multifocal lenses that correct both distance and near vision without the use of glasses following cataract surgery. Patients can perform 90-95% of their visual tasks without glasses and the effect is permanent!

Dr. Mayo is also an expert at Multifocal lens correction and cataract surgery. Dr. Mayo graduated at the top of his medical school class at Southwestern Medical School in Dallas. He served as Chief resident at the prestigious Will's Eye Hospital in Philadelphia which is considered one of the top 3 training programs in the country. He is a regular on Houston's Top Doctors list, has performed thousands of eye surgeries and regularly uses the new multifocal lenses to free patients from glasses. To learn more about Dr. Mayo, click Meet Our Doctors.

A cataract is a clouding of the lens in the eye that affects vision. The treatment is to have the cloudy lens removed and then replaced with a clear, artificial lens. Today, cataract surgery is the most common surgical procedure performed in the U.S. and one of the most successful! At the time of cataract surgery, the cataract is removed and you will receive a lens implant that will help correct your vision. Cataract surgery now affords patients the opportunity to correct the majority of their vision problems. Historically, neither astigmatism nor presbyopia (the need for reading glasses) was surgically correctable, requiring patients to wear glasses even after cataract surgery. The Eye Center of Texas now offers cataract patients the opportunity to correct presbyopia and astigmatism, along with previously existing nearsightedness and farsightedness (which often means NO MORE GLASSES!) However, there are additional fees for these options. While Medicare and/or private insurance companies will pay for cataract surgery, they will not pay for these additional up-graded options.

PLEASE ASK US ABOUT YOUR OPTIONS AND ALSO VISIT THE FOLLOWING WEBSITES FOR MORE INFORMATION:

www.acrysofrestor.com

www.cataractsurgery.com

MONOFOCAL IMPLANT… Will help correct vision but you will need bifocals to have the sharpest vision for both distance and near. Medicare and most private insurers will cover 80% of the cost of cataract surgery with a basic monofocal implant.

TORIC IMPLANT… This implant will correct for astigmatism, which allows clear distance vision for daily activities, like driving and watching TV. Astigmatism is where your cornea is steeper in one meridian than another (like a football), not spherical (like a basketball) and therefore blurs vision. After your cataract surgery with this implant, you will need glasses for all of your near work, including the computer and reading.

CUSTOM IMPLANTS… These implants will provide you with a full range of vision (near, intermediate and distance). If you have astigmatism, Dr.Wade or Dr. Mayo will correct this as well at the time of your cataract surgery with a small incision in the peripheral cornea (LRI). These implants will allow you to perform 90-95% of your daily activities without glasses by correcting presbyopia (the need for reading glasses or bifocals over the age of 45). The effect is permanent and you will have the same result whether you are 45 or 85 years old!

Click ReSTOR to learn more about how we use the IOLs here at the Eye Center.

Interested in other services we provide? Click here for information about:

Lasik Eye Surgery
Glaucoma Treatment
Eyelid Surgery
Botox
Visian ICL

Featured Article:

CATARACT SURGERY - Take Back Your Vision

[Posted on August 10]

What is a Cataract?
The word cataract is used to describe a natural lens that has turned cloudy. Cataracts are not a disease, but rather a condition affecting the eye. As the natural lens of the eye becomes cloudy, it does not allow light to pass through it as well as it did when it was transparent. Cataracts usually start as a slight cloudiness that progressively grows more opaque. They are usually white, but may take on color such as yellow or brown. As the cataract becomes opaque and dense, the retina receives less and less light. The light that does reach the retina becomes increasingly blurred and distorted. This causes gradual impairment of vision. If left untreated, cataracts can cause needless blindness. A cataract can only be removed by surgery. Cataract surgery is one of the most common operations performed, usually with excellent results. Cataracts are removed on an out-patient basis, and patients are up and about on the day of surgery.

What Are the Symptoms of a Cataract?
- A gradual deterioration in vision over time
- Objects may appear yellow, hazy, blurred or distorted
- Vision at night or in low-light conditions may be dramatically reduced
- Vision in bright light or in the sunshine may be difficult due to glare
- Halos may appear around bright lights at night

Pain-free Cataract Surgery
Cataract surgery is a pain-free experience thanks to advances in anesthesia. Patients are awake during the surgery and are able to resume normal activities shortly afterwards. According to a survey conducted by the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery, more than 98% of cataract patients had their vision successfully improved after surgery. Many patients experience vision that is actually better than before they developed cataracts. Once removed, cataracts will not grow back. However, some patients may experience clouding of a thin tissue called the capsule or "bag" that holds the intra-ocular lens (IOL). If this occurs, a laser is used to painlessly open the clouded capsule and restore clear vision.

Your cataract will be removed with an advanced technique called phaco-emulsification, or small-incision cataract surgery. After applying a local anesthetic, a tiny incision of about 1/8" is made in the front part of the eye. The cataract is then broken into microscopic particles using high energy sound waves and gently suctioned from the eye. Then, to compensate for the removal of the eye’s natural lens, an intra-ocular lens (IOL) is implanted into the eye. This type of incision is self-healing and stronger, and remains tightly sealed by the natural outward pressure within your eye.

Contact the Eye Center of Texas Today for more information regarding cataract surgery.