Eye Surgery Advances Might Allow Earlier Intervention For Cataracts
In the past, people with cataracts had to wait until the problem was relatively severe before cataract surgery would be considered.
While some people experience only a slight effect on vision from their cataracts, others are seriously inhibited from normal activities, such as driving, because their vision has deteriorated. These people have to rely on glasses and other means until they can qualify for cataract surgery.
Deciding on surgery can be difficult for both the eye doctor and the patient, because someone with early cataracts may actually be able to do well on certain eye exams, but suffer from other symptoms, such as halos around sources of light. Glare can greatly inhibit your ability to see if you have cataracts.
Advances in the field of cataract surgery may change how soon those with cataracts can safely get surgery. Laser-assisted cataract surgery replaces a number of surgical incisions previously done by hand with a laser, meaning that the operation is more precise.
Thousands of cataract surgeries are performed each year, and they have a very high success rate. In a traditional surgery, the eye surgeon will use a hand-held blade to create an incision where the sclera meets the cornea. Using this incision, the cataract is accessed, broken up and removed.
As a laser can make more precise incisions that aid quick recovery and decrease the chance of error, laser cataract surgery may be the best option for those suffering from cataracts.
However, it is dangerous to receive surgery too soon. Consult your eye doctor about the best time to get laser cataract surgery.
What Are Cataracts?
The lens, which sits behind the pupil, is normally transparent. It focuses light rays on the retina. A healthy lens is elastic, meaning that it can change to allow you focus on near and distant objects.
Around mid-life, the human body begins to change and the lens often begins to lose its ability to adjust. This is due to changes in the lens’ proteins. When these proteins clump together, forming cloudy areas of the lens, this is called a cataract.
Dr. Hoopes, Jr. received his medical training at the Wake Forest University School of Medicine. He stayed at Wake Forest for his internship and residency in ophthalmology where he was chief resident in his final year. Following residency, he began a fellowship in cornea and external disease at the prestigious Eye Consultants of Atlanta where he was able to perform nearly 100 corneal transplants and hundreds of cataract and LASIK procedures.
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