What is a cataract?

A cataract is the clouding of the natural, crystalline lens inside the eye. When people are young, the natural lens is clear and helps focus the light onto the retina. As people age, the lens loses its clarity and starts to cause blurry vision and glare problems. A cataract is not painful. A cataract usually progresses very slowly over years but can sometimes worsen quickly.

Cataract Surgery

During cataract surgery, the old cloudy lens is removed using a High Frequency Ultrasound device and an intraocular lens (IOL) implant is placed to help you see clearly.

  • It is a day surgery (i.e. you go home the same day)
  • It is rarely necessary to put you fully asleep (“general anesthesia”), but we do give light sedation
  • Most patients experience very little pain associated with cataract surgery
  • Surgery must be done in an operating room. You may choose to have your surgery at Brownwood Regional Medical Center or Hendrick Surgery Center in Brownwood.

Intraocular lens (IOL) options

You have options when it comes to the IOL. These options come in 3 main categories:

1. Monofocal IOL – This is the most commonly used type of IOL. For many patients, it corrects your distance vision well, but does not correct astigmatism or near vision.  Depending on your prescription, you may still need glasses afterward, but we do our best to minimize your need for distance glasses. Insurance covers this IOL with standard cataract surgery.

2. Astigmatism-correcting (“Toric”) IOL – If you have a significant degree of astigmatism in the cornea, this IOL option could be great for you. It helps neutralize your astigmatism at the time of surgery and improve your quality of vision. Just like the monofocal IOL, the Toric IOL does not focus as well for near vision, so you will still need some glasses. Insurance does not cover the cost of this IOL upgrade.

3. Multifocal IOL – If you have healthy eyes, aside from your cataracts, and are highly interested in reducing your dependence on glasses, you may be a good candidate for the multifocal lens. This lens is also available in astigmatism-correcting (toric) options. This IOL does not guarantee that you will totally glasses-free, but it is a good option to improve your intermediate and near vision without glasses. Insurance does not cover the cost of this IOL upgrade.

Questions?

Please contact our office to schedule an appointment for your cataract evaluation and consultation.  We look forward to assisting you.