New Ideas Into Cataract Professionals Never Before Revealed

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 within 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 can 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, which permits 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! Although we typically do not use sutures for most cataract procedures today, 10 years ago, these small sutures allowed for much 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 as well as the neck of a rooster! These materials are certainly well tolerated through 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 the remainder of the patients lifetime. This plastic material, Dr. Ridley noted, was embedded in the eyes of pilots shot down on their bombing missions within 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 in the patent's eye was very well tolerated, and did not cause any sort of rejection. Even today, while other materials remain used, polymethyl methacrolate is still the defacto standard, now enjoying fifty years of experience, and allows patients to require a really thin prescription for glasses following their cataract procedure. Prior to the routine usage of this lens, patients who had no lens replaced in 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 critical piece of technical equipment will be the ultrasound machine, known as phacoemulsification, that enables the surgeon to sculpt the secondary cataract into small fragments, which are then conveniently and gently vacuumed from the eye using a really small hand piece. This permits for a much smaller surgical incision, eliminating the requirement for wound sutures for most cases, and provides an extremely rapid as well as secure 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 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 absolutely no reason to abandon the special relationship and bond between the person and his or her optometrist, but alternatively 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 patient has been used to for quite some time. If a patient doesn't have his or her own eye doctor, then postoperative care will 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. More often than not, discussing the experiences of others, for example relations or friends, can lead you to locating the physician /patient relationship which is perfect for you.