Cataract

Cataracts and What Causes them:

The construction of the human eye is much like that of a camera.  Light rays are focused through the lens onto the retina, a layer of light-sensative cells at the back of the eye that is similar to film.  In a normal eye, light rays pass through a clear lens, and are focused onto the retina.  This produces a bright, clear image.

As the body ages, the lens continues to grow, adding layers onto the existing surface.  Over time the lens hardens and loses its transparency, which results in dull, cloudy, blurred vision.

This condition, known as age-related cataract, is normal and occurs eventually in most people.

Other less common types of cataracts, not related to normal aging, include:

Developmental Cataracts - occur in children and may be hereditary or associated with other birth defects.  Some occur without any obvious cause.

Secondary Cataracts - caused by other eye diseases or previous surgery within the eye. Formation of secondary cataracts may be accelerated by a chronic disease such as diabetes or excessive use of steroid medications.

Traumatic Cataracts - related directly to an eye injury.  Traumatic cataracts may appear immediately following injury, or develop several months or even years later. 

How are Cataracts diagnosed:

An instrument called a slit lamp microscope provides your ophthalmologist with a magnified, three dimensional view of the lens.  A thorough examination will detect the presence of a cataract, as well as any other eye conditions that may cause blurred vision or eye discomfort. 

Some Symptoms:

1.  Painless blurring or dimming of your vision. 2.  Sensitivity to light and glare, especially in bright      sunlight or while driving at night. 3.  Increased nearsightedness, requiring frequent changes      in your eyeglasses prescription. 4.  Distortion or ghost images in either eye.

If your vision has become cloudy, or things you see are not as bright as used to be, a cataract may have developed in one or both of your eyes.

Surgery, The Procedure:

Phacoemulsification involves a small incision in the side of the cornea, through which the surgeon applies a tiny, high-frequency ultrasound instrument that breaks up the center of the lens.  Any remaining tissue is then suctioned out through the incision.

After the cloudy lens has been removed, the surgeon will replace it with a plastic intraocular lens (IOL) implant. This new lens allows light to pass through and focus clearly on  the retina.  The IOL becomes a permanent part of your eye.

In most cases, the IOL is inserted behind the iris, the colored part of your eye, and is called a posterior chamber lens.  Sometimes, the IOL must be placed in front of the iris; this is known as an anterior chamber lens.

When the IOL is in place, the surgeon closes the incision.  Stitches may or may not be used.  If stitches are needed, they usually dissolve naturally and rarely need to be removed.

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