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Cataracts and Implants

What is a cataract?

The eye's natural crystalline lens helps us focus on people and things at varying distances. Unfortunately, as we grow older this lens often stiffens and hardens, and without its youthful suppleness, it loses its ability to focus, creating vision problems. This condition — for most, a natural consequence of aging - is called presbyopia. Some people begin experiencing the early effects of presbyopia (such as gradual loss of near vision) in their mid-40s.

As we age, these changes occurring to the natural crystalline lens can lead to the development of cataracts. By age 65, a large percentage of us will develop a cataract, most often typified by cloudy/fuzzy vision. With a cataract you may have difficulty seeing in extremely bright light or low-lighted conditions.

Improving Your Vision

Developing a cataract doesn't mean a permanent loss of vision quality, or having to give up the things you love, because cataract surgery is a safe, effective way to improve your vision. Cataract surgery is the most commonly performed surgery in the United States, with well over 2 million Americans having the procedure every year. Performed almost exclusively on an outpatient basis, cataract surgery is microsurgery, whereby the natural lens is removed and replaced with what is called an intraocular lens (IOL). The procedure is highly successful and most people regain very good distance vision, somewhere between 20/20 and 20/40.

Cataract surgery

Cataract surgery is one of the most commonly performed surgeries in the world. In the United States, on average over 8,000 cataract procedures are performed a day. The cataract procedure is quick, simple and allows for relatively fast healing. The recovery period is usually short. Most patients are able to pursue normal activities almost immediately after surgery.

Recently, several new intraocular lenses have been FDA approved and thus introduced in the U.S. The major advantage to these new lenses is their ability to allow much better vision at ALL distances - Distance, Intermediate and Reading.

Crystalens®  ReSTOR®  ReZoom™  Implantable Contact Lens