Cataracts are common and, if you live long enough, you will develop them. Although attributed to being "old", many people in their 40's, 50's and 60's can develop cataracts. Symptoms include blurred vision, glare, and halos around light sources.

A cataract is defined as clouding of the lens in the eye. The lens is about the size of an M&M candy and is located behind the iris. Once a cataract begins, it will continue to worsen gradually.

In the vast majority of cases, cataract surgery will restore the vision in the eye by replacing the clouded lens with a clear lens implant. The surgery is performed as an outpatient (no hospital stay) and typically takes about 10-15 minutes. With modern (no stitch, no shot) cataract surgery the recovery is quick for most patients. While safe for most patients, there are always risks and these will be explained during your examination.

There are various options for lens implants, including astigmatism correcting and multifocal varieties such as the PanOptix, which can reduce or eliminate the need for eyeglasses after the surgery.

We are now also implanting the iStent, which is a glaucoma drainage device that can be used to reduce the need for glaucoma eye drops. This is performed at the time of the cataract surgery.

If you believe you or a family member has cataracts, contact us to schedule an appointment today.