Ivy Family Health Updates

 
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In this segment Dr. Joseph Kurstin discusses the newest techniques available in cataract surgery with Drs. John, Kathryn, and Edward Martin.

There is a lens inside of our eyes, just behind the pupil, that is responsible for our ability to focus. As we age this clear crystalline lens can become cloudy, blurring our vision. When this occurs it is called a cataract. As the cataract worsens, the vision will become more blurred, and colors less distinct. To improve the vision, the cataract is surgically removed, and the cloudy lens is replaced with an intraocular implant.

In the early days of cataract extraction, the surgery was done with general anesthesia, with a large incision in the eye, and several days of
hospitalization. Now it is done in about 10-15 minutes as an outpatient procedure, through a small 2.75 mm incision. Some physicians will inject a local anesthetic around the eye, and others will perform the surgery just using anesthetic drops. The lens is removed with an ultrasonic process called phacoemulsification. It can not be removed with a laser. An intraocular lens, which is folded up so it can fit in through the small incision, is then inserted into the eye, just behind the pupil.

The power of the intraocular lens can be adjusted so that either distance vision or near vision will be clear. There is also a new type of lens, called a multifocal lens which can be inserted. This lens has multiple powers throughout the lens so that you can see both distance and near with the one lens, eliminating the need for glasses post op.

There is membrane that is left inside the eye after a cataract surgery. If this becomes cloudy with time, the vision will once again start to blur. A laser procedure can then be done to vaporize the membrane and restore clear vision.