Joel L. Pelavin, MD, PC
Clear lens Cloudy, cataractous lens
Cataract is a condition in which the lens within the eye loses its transparency. Most commonly, this is the result of aging processes. Chronic exposure to sunlight, smoking and diabetes also contribute significantly to cataract formation. Cataract surgery is one of the most commonly performed operative procedures.
Cataracts and Lens Implant Surgery
Ultrasonic, phacoemulsification probe removing cataractous lens. Intraocular lens implant.
Cataract removal with intraocular lens implantation is one of the modern miracles of medicine. Prior to the 1970's, most cataract patients were forced to have to wear thick and cumbersome eyeglasses, which were fraught with annoying and often handicapping optical aberrations. With the advent of intraocular lens implants, patients have been able to achieve post-operative visual performance often exceeding their vision prior to the development of cataracts.
Modern cataract surgery is performed as an outpatient procedure with topical anesthesia and sutureless incisions. Through a small, self-sealing incision, the lens is fragmented and vacuumed from the eye leaving the transparent outer capsule in place. The synthetic lens is than positioned within the capsule, in essence replacing a clouded lens with a clear lens. The implant is expected to last for one's lifetime. Recovery is rapid and painless and patients are usually back to normal activities within a few days. Afterwards, normal thickness eyeglasses are often prescribed although dependence on eyeglasses may be greatly reduced. Newer generation implants have been designed to reduce eyeglass dependence even further, correcting astigmatism and providing simultaneous distance and reading vision.