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Custom Cataract Surgery

A cataract is a cloudiness or opacity in the eye’s natural lens. The lens, which is normally transparent, is located behind the iris (the colored portion of the eye) and the pupil (the dark center of the eye). Cataracts are a natural part of aging but may occur in younger individuals as a result of various medical diseases, medications, or trauma. Mild cataracts may not significantly disturb vision, but as they mature, they can eventually cause blurred vision, sensitivity to light, glare, and increased nearsightedness or distorted images.

Cataracts can occur at any age but are very common in older people. Cataracts affect over 73 percent of senior citizens aged 65 years and older in the United States today.

Treatment Options

If symptoms of cataracts are mild, a change in glasses may be all that is necessary. However, if cataracts are causing symptoms that interfere with daily activities, surgery may be considered. Surgery is the only way to remove a cataract.

In most cases, the cataract is removed using a process called “phacoemulsification.” During phacoemulsification, a small incision is made in the eye. An ultrasonic device sends vibrations into the eye to break the lens into small pieces. The pieces of the lens are then suctioned out and are replaced by an intraocular lens (IOL). An intraocular lens is a clear manmade lens that replaces the cataractous lens to produce clearer vision.

Cataract surgery is a highly successful procedure, improving vision in 95% of the cases. Wheaton Eye Clinic is a leader in state-of-the-art cataract surgery including:

Custom Cataract Surgery with Premium Lens – Astigmatic Correcting IOLs – Presbyopia Correcting IOLs

Custom Cataract Surgery refers to performing additional procedures at the time of cataract surgery and/or implanting an intraocular lens (IOL) that can reduce the dependence on glasses or bifocals. The vast majority of patients who choose Custom Cataract Surgery report that they can read a book, work on a computer, drive a car, and play tennis or golf with increased freedom from glasses.

Patients who undergo a cataract procedure, and who have nearsightedness or farsightedness, can have these refractive errors corrected with the implantation of a standard “monofocal” intraocular lens and achieve good distance vision without the need for glasses. However, there will be a need for reading glasses to improve near vision.

The two conditions that Custom Cataract Surgery addresses are astigmatism and presbyopia.

Symptoms

Sometimes the surface of the cornea is shaped more like a football, with both steeper and flatter curves. When the surface of the cornea has an uneven curvature, vision becomes blurry. This common irregularity is called corneal astigmatism. Astigmatism causes distorted vision because images are not focused at one spot on the retina to provide clear vision.

A person who has both a cataract and corneal astigmatism will not regain high-quality distance vision after cataract surgery unless astigmatism also is corrected.

Treatment Options

There are several surgical options your surgeon may choose to treat astigmatism, such as LASIK laser vision correction, astigmatic keratotomy (AK), limbal relaxing incisions (LRI) or, if you are undergoing cataract surgery, there is an IOL available that will correct astigmatism called a “toric IOL.” Your surgeon will recommend the option that is best for you.

Symptoms

Presbyopia is a condition that develops in everyone over age 40. It causes difficulty seeing up close unless aided by bifocals, trifocals or reading glasses. This age-related condition is believed to be caused by a hardening of the lens inside the eye, making it difficult for the eye’s muscles to change its focus.

Treatment Options

Patients who undergo cataract surgery, and who receive the standard monofocal IOLs, will be able to focus on objects at a fixed, preselected distance (such as close, medium, or long-range). The majority of people with monofocal replacement lenses choose long-range lenses and will need glasses for reading and performing other activities that require close-range focus.

A presbyopia-correcting IOL allows patients to focus on objects at varied distances.  These lenses can allow patients to enjoy a decreased dependency not only on glasses or contacts for distance vision but also on reading glasses or bifocals for near vision. 

If you are considering cataract surgery, you may be a candidate for Custom Cataract Surgery with a presbyopia-correcting IOL that can provide a full range of vision.   There are different types of presbyopia-correcting IOLs such as the Vivity (Extended Depth-of-Focus) and PanOptix (Multifocal). Each of these lenses has advantages and disadvantages. Which IOL is best for you depends on the unique characteristics of your eye as well as your expectations for lifestyle needs. Only you and your surgeon can decide which lens is right for you.

Custom Cataract Surgery Doctors

Locations

Wheaton Eye Clinic’s unparalleled commitment to excellence is evident in our continued growth. Today we provide world-class medical and surgical care to patients in six suburban locations—Wheaton, Naperville, Hinsdale, Plainfield, St. Charles, and Bartlett.

(630) 668-8250 (800) 637-1054
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