3 Things Everybody Knows About Cataract Professionals That You Don t

Cataracts, or perhaps the normal age-related clouding of the human lens, still remains the most typical (curable) cause of blindness in third world countries today. Treating cataracts has been described in the most ancient manuscripts and scriptures of every recorded culture over the final several thousand years. Today, it is commonplace for patients to leave the surgery center and go out to lunch or dinner on the exact same day as their cataract surgery!

There are actually five advances which have allowed cataract surgeons and patients to enjoy such great success:

First was the development and widespread utilization of the operating microscope, that enables a magnified view of the eye through the procedure. Just before this, surgeons used either their naked eye or magnifying glasses.

Second, was the creation of microsurgical sutures, which are 1/3 the thickness of a human hair! Though we typically do not use sutures for most cataract procedures today, ten years ago, these small sutures allowed for far more comfortable postoperative healing period.

Third, was the discovery of a jelly substance called viscoelastic. This clear, My Site removable material comes from two unusual sources: the fin of shark as well as the neck of a rooster! These materials are very well tolerated by the eye, effortlessly removed, transparent, and allows the eye to maintain its round shape during surgery, serving to protect the delicate tissues within the eye.

Fourth, was the fascinating discovery by an English ophthalmologist, Dr. Harold Ridley, of a lens material which is permanently implanted within the eye and causes no inflammation for the remainder of the patients lifetime. This plastic material, Dr. Ridley noted, was embedded in the eyes of pilots shot down on their own bombing missions in the first world war. The material called polymethyl methacrolate was used to make the bubble window canopy, which the pilots pulled over their heads in their spitfire planes. Dr. Ridley noted that pieces of this material embedded within the patent's eye was very well tolerated, and did not cause any type of rejection. Even today, while other materials remain used, polymethyl methacrolate is still the defacto standard, now enjoying fifty years of expertise, and allows patients to require an extremely thin prescription for glasses following their cataract procedure. Just before the routine usage of this lens, patients who had no lens replaced within their eye following cataract surgery required the utilization of very thick glasses, which distorted their vision and cut down significantly on their own peripheral (side) field of view.

Lastly, perhaps the most important piece of technical equipment is the ultrasound machine, described as phacoemulsification, that permits the surgeon to sculpt the cataract into small fragments, which are then quickly and gently vacuumed from the eye using a really small hand piece. This enables for a significantly smaller surgical incision, eliminating the need for wound sutures in many cases, and provides an extremely rapid and comfortable postoperative recovery and visual rehabilitation.

Modern day cataract surgery enjoys the highest level of safety ever known before. With exquisitely precise instruments used to measure the eye before surgery, we are able to calculate the specific power of the new lens implant, which is gently placed into the eye following removal of the cataract, often allowing patients the freedom of useful vision without glasses for both distance and near activities.

Choose your eye doctor wisely. Many patients already have a comfortable relationship established by having an optometrist who can work closely with the surgeon, co-managing the patient's postoperative care. There's no reason to abandon the special relationship and bond between the affected person and his or her optometrist, but instead utilize the services of the surgeon to perform the cataract operation, and after that return to the established optometric practice which has provided the degree of care and quality that the affected person has been used to for several years. If a patient doesn't have his or her own eye doctor, then postoperative care shall certainly be provided by the surgeon and his or her associates. Make sure that the eye doctor is experienced, and adheres to the highest of ethical standards. Often, discussing the experiences of others, for example close relatives or friends, can lead you to finding the physician /patient relationship which is perfect for you.