A cataract is a condition in which the lens of the eye becomes cloudy. It is the world’s most common cause of blindness and is particularly common in patients who are over 40 years old.
How Are Cataracts Treated?
Cataracts cause the patient’s vision to become increasingly blurry and, and they also cause colors to appear muted. Patients may try to improve their vision with aids like brighter lights, magnifying glasses, or stronger prescriptions. The only permanent treatment, however, is cataract surgery.
What Does Cataract Surgery Involve?
During cataract surgery in Oahu, the doctor will remove the defective lens and replace it with an artificial lens called an intraocular lens or IOL.
Cataract surgery is an outpatient procedure that usually takes under an hour. The doctor will use topical numbing drops and IV sedation to keep the patient comfortable. They will then make a tiny incision and insert an ultrasonic probe that will break the lens into small pieces. After carefully removing the pieces, the surgeon will insert the IOL through the incision.
The IOL is made of a flexible material that can be folded so it will fit through the incision. Once in place, it will unfold and resume its original form. The incision will heal on its own, so the patient will not need stitches.
What Is A Toric Lens?
A toric lens is a type of IOL that corrects astigmatism as well as cataracts. It will thus improve the patient’s ability to focus, and it is particularly useful for improving distance vision.
Contact Hawaii Vision Clinic or visit Docwong.net to learn more about cataract surgery in Oahu.
