|
Refractive Lens Implants
General Info | ReSTOR
Facts | Cataract Facts
| Stats | FAQ
| Glossary
Cataracts and Cataract Surgery
The lens inside your eye is made up of protein and water.
When the protein and water becomes cloudy then it is called
a cataract.
When this happens, the images that go to the retina become
blurry and hazy. It is perceived that a cataract
is a "film" over the eye. It is NOT a film. As light
passes through the cataractous lens, it is diffused or scattered.
The result is blurred or defocused vision.
Cataract
- As light passes through the cataractous lens, it is diffused
or scattered.
The result is blurred or defocused vision.
A cataract
is a "clouding" of the lens in your eye. The lens,
located just behind the iris or the colored part of your eye,
works like the lens of a camera. It picks up images, then
focuses the lights, colors, and shapes on the retina - the
transmitter located at the back of your eye that sends the
images to your brain. In a normal eye, light passes through
the lens and gets focused on the retina. To help produce a
sharp image, the lens must remain clear.
In its early stages, a cataract
may not cause a vision problem. The cloudiness may affect
only a small part of the lens. Over time, the cataract
may grow larger and cloud more of the lens, making it more
difficult to see objects clearly.
There are several causes to cataracts,
including aging, smoking, diabetes and
excessive exposure to sunlight. Cataracts
also can develop soon after an eye injury, or even years later.
Cataracts
cannot be prevented. In over 90 percent of cases, cataracts
are caused by the aging process.
In the early stages of cataracts,
stronger lighting and eyeglasses may lessen vision problems
caused by the clouding of the lens. A cataract
can be the reason sharp images become blurred, or seeing things
at night is more difficult. It may also be why eyeglasses
or contact lenses that used to help you see, or do other simple
tasks, no longer seem to help.
Once the cataract
impacts an individual's quality of life, surgery may be needed
to improve vision. This treatment involves removing the cloudy
lens and replacing it with an artificial lens.
Cataract
surgery is one of the safest and most effective types of surgery.
Each year, approximately 2.7 million cataract
surgeries are performed in the U. S., and globally, nine million
cataract
surgeries are performed. Today, cataract
surgery involves removing the cloudy lens and replacing it
with an artificial lens, often a monofocal intraocular
lens (IOL). A monofocal
lens typically provides patients with only one focal point,
most commonly far away, leaving patients dependent on glasses
for up-close tasks. A new breakthrough technology, AcrySofR
ReSTORR IOL, addresses this by allowing patients to see a
full range of vision, near through distance, reducing a patient's
reliance on glasses.
One of the latest state-of-the-art monofocal
lenses is the Tecnis lens by American Medical Optics.
This lens was developed using an advanced optical measuring
system called wavefront aberration analysis. This measuring
system is the same as that is used in laser refractive surgery
called wavefront technology or customVue.. The tecn is the
first lens approved by the FDA that says it improves functional
vision and reduces spherical aberrtion. This will provide
an additional safety benefit for older drivers.
The Tecnis lens will allow the eye to function more like
a younger person's eye, improving functional vision in varying
light conditions. Dr. Matamoros will discuss all of your lens
options during your eye exam and together you will decide
which is the best choice for you.
What a cataract is not
A cataract
is not a "film" over the eye, and neither diet nor
lasers will make it go away. The best way to treat a cataract
is to remove the old, clouded lens and provide a replacement.
|
