What Two College Kids Discovered About Cataract Services

Cataracts, or perhaps the normal age-related clouding of the human lens, still remains the most common (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 really is commonplace for patients to leave the surgery center and go out to lunch or dinner on the same day as their cataract surgery!

You will find five advances that have allowed cataract surgeons and patients to enjoy such great success:

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

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

Third, was the discovery of a jelly substance called viscoelastic. This clear, removable material comes from two unusual sources: the fin of shark and the neck of a rooster! These materials are very well tolerated by the eye, conveniently 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 my response 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 sort of rejection. Even today, while other materials continue to be used, polymethyl methacrolate is still the defacto standard, now enjoying fifty years of expertise, and allows patients to require a very thin prescription for glasses following their cataract procedure. Just before the routine utilization of this lens, patients who had no lens replaced within their eye following cataract surgery required the use of very thick glasses, which distorted their vision and cut down significantly on their peripheral (side) field of view.

Lastly, probably the most significant piece of technical equipment is the ultrasound machine, called phacoemulsification, that enables the surgeon to sculpt the cataract into small fragments, which are then easily and gently vacuumed from the eye using a really small hand piece. This enables for a lot smaller surgical incision, eliminating the necessity for wound sutures in the majority of cases, and provides a really 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 have been able to calculate the specific power of the new lens implant, which is gently placed in to 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 an appropriate relationship established with an optometrist who will 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 patient and his or her optometrist, but rather utilize the services of the surgeon to perform the cataract operation, and then return to the established optometric practice which has provided the level of care and quality that the client has been comfortable with for a long time. If a patient won't have his or her own eye doctor, then postoperative care shall surely be provided through the surgeon and his or her associates. Make certain that the eye doctor is experienced, and adheres to the highest of ethical standards. Generally, discussing the experiences of others, for example family members or friends, can lead you to locating the physician /patient relationship which is perfect for you.