A cataract is a medical condition in which the natural lens of the eye becomes cloudy and opaque. This causes a gradual loss of clear vision. As a cataract progresses more and more of the lens becomes cloudy.
Cataract Surgery – Old Bridge, NJ
Dr. Robert Scharfman of Atlantic Medical Eye Care in Old Bridge, NJ performs cataract surgery as a minimally invasive procedure that involves numbing the eyes with anesthesia and then making a tiny incision into which an ultrasonic probe is inserted. The probe breaks up, or emulsifies, the cloudy lens into tiny pieces and then suctions them out of the eye.
Once the cloudy lens has been removed, a new artificial lens is implanted into the eye. This lens is known as an intraocular lens (IOL), and can often be inserted through the same incision from which the old lens was removed.
Cataract Surgery and Recovery
Surgery usually takes only a few minutes to perform and is painless for most patients. After the procedure, a patch may be placed over the eye and you will be asked to rest for a while. Patients can return home the very same day, but will need someone else to drive them home.
For the next few days, you may experience itching, mild discomfort, fluid discharge and sensitivity to light and touch. Your doctor may prescribe eye drops to help the healing process and to reduce the risk of infection.
Premium Replacement Lenses
There are several different IOLs available to help you achieve the best possible results from your cataract surgery. Multifocal IOLs allow for full vision correction at near, intermediate and far distances, minimizing (or even completely eliminating) the need for eyeglasses or contact lenses in most patients. Some IOLs can also correct astigmatism.
These choices were not always available for cataract patients. In the past, cataract surgery only involved monofocal lenses, which could only focus on objects near or far, but could not adjust to accommodate varying distances. These patients still had to rely on glasses or contact lenses after surgery in order to see clearly at all distances, especially in older patients suffering from presbyopia.
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Your sight is precious — Dr. Scharfman and his compassionate staff can eliminate your cataracts and help you see clearly once again.