Below are answers to common questions about cataracts to help you understand your care and treatment options.
What are cataracts?
A cataract is a clouding of the eye's naturally clear lens. The lens becomes like a window that is frosted or yellowed. Cataracts are a common cause of vision loss, especially as we age, but they are treatable.
How are cataracts treated?
Once the doctor determines that cataracts are affecting your vision and daily life, surgery may be recommended. Cataract surgery is an outpatient procedure where the natural lens is replaced with an intraocular lens implant.
Can cataracts come back after surgery?
Once the natural lens is replaced, cataracts cannot develop again. However, scar tissue can form around the intraocular lens (IOL), causing cloudy vision. This can be treated in our office with a laser.
What causes cloudiness in the eyes after cataract surgery?
Cloudiness after cataract surgery is most often caused by a condition called posterior capsule opacification (PCO), where scar tissue forms on the membrane behind the intraocular lens. It can develop months or even years after surgery and is not a recurrence of the cataract itself. PCO is easily and painlessly treated in our office with a quick laser procedure called a YAG capsulotomy.
How long will I be in the surgery center?
Cataract surgery is an outpatient procedure. Plan to be on site for approximately three hours on the day of surgery, though the procedure itself lasts 10–15 minutes.
Will I need someone to drive me home after surgery?
Yes. Due to relaxing medications used during surgery, a driver must accompany you home.
How soon can you drive after cataract surgery?
Many patients can return to driving as soon as the day after surgery, depending on vision and comfort.
Will I need glasses after surgery?
Some patients may only need reading glasses, while others may require mild prescriptions for both distance and reading.
What is the difference between cataract surgery and LASIK surgery?
Cataract surgery involves removing the eye's clouded natural lens and replacing it with a clear artificial lens implant, and is performed when a cataract is affecting vision. LASIK is a laser procedure that reshapes the cornea to correct refractive errors such as nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism in otherwise healthy eyes. The two procedures address different conditions and are not interchangeable, though some patients may benefit from both at different stages of life.
