This is a MUST read if you or your parents/family members have been diagnosed with a CATARACT.
Barbara came in to see Dr. Kaiser when she was told she had a cataract.
Barbara couldn’t see the street signs while she was driving and she needed glasses for everything including watching TV and reading. She remembers the only time she didn’t need glasses was when she went to bed.
She used bifocals for years.
Barbara was familiar with cataract surgery since a couple of her friends had gone through it before her. Her friends felt their vision was better but like many other patients they all still needed glasses after surgery.
When Dr. Kaiser told her that she was ready for surgery, she said she got very nervous. It’s pretty normal for our doctors to hear this since it IS surgery and it IS your eyes! But Barbara remembers her surgery day came and went perfectly.
Dr. Kaiser explained Barbara’s options to her, and the time came when she had to choose between a standard lens or a multifocal lens. Barbara chose the Tecnis Multifocal lens and now does not wear ANY glasses except her fashionable sunglasses.
Ironically enough, Barbara has become the “Reader of the family.”
When her son and daughter-in-law come over with her granddaughter, Barbara says they are fumbling around for their reading glasses and her son says “give it to Mom, she can read without glasses now.” The funny thing about this is that they are in their 50’s and Barbara is in her 80’s! Needless to say, Barbara is very pleased and this is a wonderful success story. We are so happy Barbara shared her experience with us.
When you are diagnosed with a cataract and the doctor determines it is time for you to have surgery, you have several choices you are faced with. The most important is of course that you choose the right surgeon, but another extremely important choice is what intraocular lens implant (IOL) you would like to have.
Multifocal IOL’s are a very popular choice for patients these days because of the enhanced vision and experience they provide post surgery.
Brief description of cataract surgery:
A cataract is a clouding of your natural lens. We are born with a crisp, clear natural lens in our eyes and with age, UV light exposure, etc. this lens grows cloudy and becomes what we call “a cataract.” The only way to fix it is to have the cataract removed and replaced with an intraocular lens implant.
During surgery, there will be several incisions made to get to where the natural lens of your eye is held. Then the cataract is fragmented into pieces to make it easier for removal. The surgeon then removes the cataract and puts in the implant.
Lens Choices:
- Standard/Monofocal Lens – This lens gives you distance vision. No intermediate or near so you will need glasses for both.
- Toric Lens – for patients with astigmatism – This lens gives you distance vision and treats the vision issues that your astigmatism causes, which are usually, blur and distortion. This lens does not provide intermediate or near vision so you will need glasses too.
- Presbyopic/Multifocal Lens – The Tecnis belongs in this category along with some other options. Luckily, with time and technology, we have developed several options for these types of lenses that have varying optics in order to give patients: near, intermediate and distance vision all in one.
The goal for these lenses is to give patients the best possible vision with the least chance of having to wear glasses after surgery. Of course it is important to note, a physician can NEVER promise a patient that they will be glasses-free after surgery 100%, but choosing one of these lenses gives you your best chance at that possibility.
The new laser technology our doctors use to make the incisions for cataract surgery actually enhances the success of these premium implant lenses because the lens positioning is more predictable patient to patient with the use of laser precision. This laser technology is brand-new and state of the art. Click here for more info.
If you or your loved one has been diagnosed with a cataract, please talk to your Center for Excellence doctor about your multifocal/premium lens options at your next visit. Call us at 305-598-2020 to set up a consultation!
Click on these links to read more about Dr. Kaiser, premium lens implant options, cataracts, and laser cataract surgery.
