Having a cataract means that the natural lens inside your eye has become cloudy and is interfering with your vision. Cataracts are a common cause of vision loss, leading to decreased quality of life, increased risk of falling, motor vehicle accidents, accelerating dementia and more.
Fortunately, cataract surgery is one of the safest and most successful procedures done in the United States. Having your cataract removed can make a great improvement in your quality of life!
Your surgery will be performed at our outpatient surgery center at our Wooster location. We have a friendly, skilled staff to make your experience pleasant and successful. Prior to surgery, you will be given anesthesia to get you to a calm, relaxed state of mind and to prevent pain during surgery. Plan on being with us for several hours.
Watch the video below for an animated overview of how your cataract is removed.
During your surgery, your cloudy cataract is removed and replaced with an artificial lens implant selected specifically for your eye and your expectations. Recently, exciting advances in technology have allowed us to tailor your lens implant to better achieve the vision you want. For some that means being in glasses full time but for others, it means getting rid of glasses for most of their daily activities.
Our goal is to help you decide which implant is best for you.
Click on the next video for a discussion of your options, then read on below.
Lens Implant Options
Option One — Extended Depth of Focus Lens Implants
Over time, most people lose their ability to see up close and end up needing glasses all the time for reading and other similar activities. Recent improvements in artificial lens technology have finally given us the ability to correct your vision for most of your daily needs, from seeing at a distance, to using a computer, to reading with much less need for glasses! These implants focus your vision across an extended range giving you a much greater depth of focus than a traditional lens implant does. This group of lens implants can also be used to correct for astigmatism where needed.
While these lenses are amazing for some, they aren’t for everyone. Your surgeon will discuss with you whether you’re a candidate and if so which of these lenses is best for you based on your unique needs and your unique eye.
We offer Panoptix, Vivity and Symfony implants. Each of these implants has unique characteristics which allows your surgeon to make a recommendation for which one would work best for you. Like the astigmatism correcting implants, these lenses have an out of pocket expense which is not covered by your insurance. If being able to see at distance and up close again without as much need for glasses is important to you, we may have some great options for you!
Click on the links below to learn more about the Panoptix or Symfony implant.
Option Two -- Astigmatism Correcting Implants (Torics)
Many peoples’ eyes have what’s called astigmatism, which means that the shape of the surface of the eye is warped instead of being smoothly curved. This leaves you with blurred or distorted vision. Cataract surgery with a traditional lens implant does not improve your astigmatism very much, if at all.
A special type of lens implant called a toric lens implant, on the other hand, can improve your vision by balancing out the distortion caused by astigmatism. Toric lens implants have been safely and successfully used for years. If you have a large amount of astigmatism and seeing better with less need for glasses appeals to you, you may benefit from a toric lens. These lenses do have an out of pocket expense which is not covered by your insurance.
Option Three — Traditional (Monofocal) Lens Implant
The traditional lens implant is also called a monofocal lens, meaning it allows us to focus your vision at only one distance, allowing you to have vision corrected either in the distance or for up close. You would then be dependent on glasses or contact lenses for the rest of your vision needs.
This option does not correct for astigmatism. If you have a large amount of astigmatism, you’ll need glasses for all your daily activities. These lenses are “covered” by your medical insurance and are a great option for our patients who don’t mind being dependent on glasses after surgery.
