Cataracts are the most common cause of blindness in the world, and they are particularly common in people who are over 40 years old. While there are several types of cataracts, they all affect the lens of the eye.
How Can Cataracts Be Treated?
During the early stages of a cataract, the patient can try to improve their vision through such aids as better lighting or glasses with stronger prescriptions. Eventually, though, they will need to undergo surgery to have their natural lens replaced with an artificial lens, which is more formally called an Intraocular Lens or IOL.
What Does Cataract Surgery Involve?
During cataract surgery in Oahu, the doctor will make a tiny incision in the patient’s eye and insert a small probe that will use ultrasound to break the defective lens into little pieces. After removing those pieces, the doctor will place an IOL in the exact same place as the original lens. The IOL is made of a flexible material that will let the doctor fold it to fit it through the incision. Once in place, it will unfold and resume its proper shape. The incision will heal on its own, so the surgeon will not need to use stitches. The doctor will use a combination of numbing drops and intravenous anesthesia to keep the patient comfortable.
What Is ReSTOR®?
ReSTOR® is a type of IOL used in cataract surgery. Unlike many IOLs, which provide only far or near vision, ReSTOR® gives patients the full range of vision. About 85 to 90 percent of patients who received ReSTOR® lenses during clinical trials no longer needed glasses.
Contact Hawaiian Vision Clinic or visit Docwong.net to learn more about cataract surgery in Oahu.
