Q: What's new in cataract treatment?
A: Modern technology and improved surgical techniques and skills have enhanced outcomes of cataract surgery, reduced risks and hastened recovery time.
New surgical approaches are performed in an outpatient setting. Surgery can be performed through very small incisions with no stitches, shots or patches.
(Laser cataract surgery is being developed as a new technology but is not yet available for routine use.)
Patients no longer need to wait for a cataract to be "ripe" -- cataract surgery now is performed when the cataract causes visual changes that disturb the patient's lifestyle or diminish quality of life.
When a clouded lens (cataract) is removed, it is replaced by a tiny plastic lens implanted permanently in the eye. The optical power of the implant lens can be calculated, using preoperative measurements of the eye and the curvature of the cornea, so that the implant restores normal vision.
If the patient has astigmatism, this can be corrected by small incisions or astigmatic keratotomies at the time of cataract surgery. They may reduce further patients' dependence on glasses.
New intraocular lenses also are available to correct presbyopia (the need for reading glasses). These intraocular lenses are suitable for many patients. Some patients may still require reading glasses or minor corrective glasses to be worn after surgery.
Visual recovery from cataract surgery can be almost immediate with patients seeing very well in the first day or two. Glasses are prescribed in one to two weeks. Patients resume their normal lifestyle within days after cataract surgery.
If you feel your vision is less than optimal, consult your eyecare provider. Often, a new eyeglass prescription will correct the problem, but if cataract surgery is necessary, you may benefit from advanced technology and may find the procedure is safer and more accessible than you previously thought.
( Robert Snyder, M.D., Ph.D., head, Department of Ophthalmology, The University of Arizona College of Medicine, Tucson.)
The information presented here is not intended to replace the advice of your physician.
For referral to a UA physician, please call University Health Connection, (520)694-8888.
ASK AHSC is published by the Office of Public Affairs, The University of Arizona Health Sciences Center. Health questions should be sent to: ASK AHSC, AHSC Office of Public Affairs, P.O. Box 245095, Tucson, AZ 85724-5095, or E-mail to: jspinell@u.arizona.edu.
(Editors Note: ASK AHSC is available on the Internet at www.ahsc.arizona.edu/opa/answers. To receive ASK AHSC via E-mail, call the AHSC Office of Public Affairs, (520)626-7301.)
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