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Learn About Common Eye Disorders
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In a healthy eye, the lens, situated behind the pupil, bends light and focuses it on the retina. The light is converted to signals that the brain processes and organizes into the images we see. When the lens loses its transparency, the clouded tissue is known as a cataract. Initially, cataracts cause a reduction in vision that can usually be corrected partially with eyeglasses or contact lenses. As the opacification of the lens progresses, however, vision is increasingly and profoundly impaired. About 50% of Americans between the ages of 65 and 74 and 70% of those over 75 have some stage of cataract development. About 1.3 million cataract operations are performed each year in this country, and cataract removal is the most frequent surgical procedure performed in patients 65 or older. About 90% of all cataracts are age-related and start developing after age 40. Usually, there is no other demonstrable cause. Prolonged exposure to ultraviolet light may play a role in the formation of cataracts. Studies have also shown that people who smoke cigarettes face up to twice the risk nonsmokers have of developing cataracts. The only way to treat a cataract is to surgically remove it. There are no drugs or eye drops to dissolve cataracts, nor are there any medications or treatments currently available that are proven to halt their progression. Surgery is performed under local anesthesia with mild sedation-there is usually no need to put you to sleep. The anesthesia is given in the form of eye drops usually or occasionally by injection, depending on the preference of the surgeon and the specific characteristics of the patient. Following anesthesia, there is usually no sensation in the eye at all, regardless of how administered. Surgery is performed on a same day basis so that no overnight hospital stay is typically required. Cataract surgery today is done with microsurgical instruments under the high magnification of an operating microscope. An incision of 3mm or less allows ultrasonic phacoemulsification, or liquification, of the lens. A foldable artificial lens implant, specifically chosen for the proper correction of near-sightedness (myopia) or far-sightedness (hyperopia), is positioned in the location of the previous natural lens, permanently replacing it. Occasionally months or years after cataract surgery, the capsule (membrane) behind the intraocular lens may become cloudy. If this happens, your doctor will perform a simple laser procedure to make an opening in it. This opening allows light to enter through, restoring clear vision. |
