Posted by: Oakland Ophthalmic Surgery in Cataract Surgery

What is a Cataract?

Imagine driving down the road, your view obscured by a foggy windshield— a lot like having cataracts, a common eye condition that clouds up the lens and blurs your vision. This clouding can impact your vision in one or both eyes. Remarkably, over 24 million people in the United States (more than 7% of the population) are dealing with cataracts. Because cataracts are so prevalent, it’s critical to learn how they develop and what the symptoms are from the experts at Oakland Ophthalmic Surgery.

How Does a Cataract Develop?

The eye’s natural lens plays a pivotal role in sharp vision, functioning similarly to a camera lens by focusing light onto the retina to create clear images. However, when proteins in the lens begin to accumulate and clump together, this clarity is reduced. This protein buildup forms a cataract, impacting the lens’s ability to refract light accurately. Disrupted light refraction causes vision to gradually become blurred or impaired.

Cataracts typically develop slowly and often go unnoticed in their initial stages, and are commonly associated with aging, with most cases starting to appear around the age of 60. Many people don’t realize they have a cataract until it starts significantly impacting their vision, making everyday activities like reading, driving, or seeing in low light challenging.

What Causes a Cataract?

Cataracts can be caused by many different things, ranging from aging to various health conditions and lifestyle factors. One of the primary reasons cataracts occur is the natural aging process, when the proteins and fibers in your eye’s lens gradually break down. Beyond aging, cataracts are often linked with other eye conditions such as glaucoma or diabetes. Eye trauma, like a sports injury, can also cause the formation of a cataract, making it critical to wear eye protection during high-risk activities.

Family history also plays a significant role in cataract development. People with a genetic predisposition to cataracts are more likely to develop them, and similarly, long-term use of certain medications can increase your risk. It’s important to discuss familial risks with your eye care expert at Oakland Ophthalmic Surgery, especially when prescribed medications known to impact eye health. While less common, cataracts can also be present at birth or develop during an infant’s first year of life. These are known as congenital cataracts and often require different management strategies.

Finally, lifestyle factors like smoking, obesity, excessive alcohol consumption, and high blood pressure can contribute to cataract development.

Types of Cataracts

Cataracts are not a one-size-fits-all condition; they come in different types, each affecting the eye’s lens in unique ways. Understanding these variations is essential for effective diagnosis and treatment.

Nuclear Cataracts

Nuclear cataracts primarily affect the center of the lens. Initially, these cataracts may cause nearsightedness or a temporary improvement in reading vision, but this should not be viewed as a positive sign. Over time, the lens can gradually yellow, further clouding vision. In advanced stages, nuclear cataracts may even cause difficulties in identifying shapes and colors, greatly impacting daily activities.

Cortical Cataracts

Cordial cataracts appear at the edge of the lens, starting as white, wedge-shaped opacities or streaks on the outer edge of the lens cortex. As these cataracts progress, the streaks extend towards the center of the lens, disrupting the passage of light through the eye and negatively impacting vision.

Posterior Subcapsular Cataracts

This type of cataract affects the back of the lens. Posterior subcapsular cataracts start as a small opaque area near the back of the lens, directly in the path of light. They are particularly troublesome in bright light, can greatly impact reading vision, and are known to cause glare or halos around lights at night. It’s important to note that posterior subcapsular cataracts progress faster than other types of cataracts.

Congenital Cataracts

Though rare, some babies are born with cataracts or develop them early in their childhood. Congenital cataracts may be associated with certain conditions like myotonic dystrophy, galactosemia, neurofibromatosis type 2, or rubella. They don’t always impair vision, but when they do, eye experts typically recommend they be removed soon after detection to prevent long-term visual impairment.

How is a Cataract Treated?

When it comes to treating cataracts, the only definitive solution is cataract surgery. Surgically removing cataracts is both safe and effective, providing long-term resolution for clouded, impaired vision. During cataract surgery, the eye’s clouded lens is carefully removed and replaced with a clear, artificial lens. The artificial lens is designed to restore your vision and reverse the visual impairment caused by the cataract.

The most impressive aspect of cataract surgery is its efficiency; the procedure typically takes less than 30 minutes to complete, largely because of the advanced surgical techniques and the expertise of ophthalmologists. Additionally, the recovery period is relatively short. In most cases, patients can return home on the same day as their procedure and resume their daily activities with minimal disruption.

It’s important to note that cataracts can develop and progress over many years. Initially, you may not realize you have a cataract as the symptoms can be mild and gradually worsen over time. To detect and remove cataracts before they significantly impact your vision, it’s essential to complete regular eye exams with your local Oakland Ophthalmic Surgery doctor.

When Should I Consider Cataract Surgery?

Deciding if cataract surgery is right for you is a critical step in returning clarity to your vision. The first step in this process is to get a professional diagnosis as soon as you notice any symptoms of a cataract. Early detection is critical in either slowing the progression of the cataract or treating it entirely, and most professionals recommend surgery when the cataract begins to greatly impact your daily life. This is typically when the cataract interferes with your ability to perform day-to-day tasks such as reading or driving.

Remember that cataract surgery is not only a routine procedure, but a highly successful one. Each year, millions of people undergo cataract surgery, with most achieving clear, unimpaired vision. Therefore, if you find that your cataract is hindering your daily life, it’s crucial to consult with an eye care specialist at Oakland Ophthalmic Surgery. Our experts can restore your vision easily with our highly successful cataract surgery.

How Long Does Cataract Surgery Take?

Cataract surgery, while highly effective, is a surprisingly brief procedure. The entire process usually takes around 10 minutes.

Incision: The first step is making a small incision in the eye, allowing the surgeon to access the affected lens.
Removal of Cloudy Lens: The surgeon then carefully removes the cloudy lens, which is the cataract-affected part of your eye.
Placement of Artificial Lens: Once the affected lens is removed, an artificial intraocular lens (IOL) is inserted. This lens is designed to restore clear vision and doesn’t require any care or maintenance post-surgery.
Closing the Incision: When the artificial lens is in place, the incision in the eye is closed. This is usually done without stitches because the small incision can seal itself.
Healing Process: After the surgery, the eye is typically covered to protect it and aid in the healing process.

At Oakland Ophthalmic Surgery, we approach cataract surgery cautiously, with our primary focus on the patient. We only correct one cataract at a time, with a few weeks in between surgeries to allow each eye to fully recover and ensure you have good vision in at least one eye while the other heals.

Are You Awake During Cataract Surgery?

As scary as it sounds, yes, you must be awake during cataract surgery. But don’t fret! The procedure is normally conducted while you are under local anesthesia, so you won’t feel any pain during the surgery. This anesthesia is part of the reason Oakland Ophthalmic Surgery and other eye care specialists will ask you to arrive early for the surgery; our primary goal is to ensure you are sedated, relaxed, and comfortable for your procedure.

We understand how daunting it can be to be awake during surgery, especially when it involves your eyes, but Oakland Ophthalmic Surgery has extensive experience completing this type of procedure and makes your safety and security a top priority.

Visit Our Cataract Specialists in Birmingham and Troy, MI

While certain lifestyle changes can help reduce the risk of cataracts, they are often unavoidable. If you’re experiencing cataract symptoms, effective treatment options like cataract surgery may be right for you.

Our doctors are experts in treating cataracts and will guide you through every step of the process to ensure your procedure and recovery are seamless. To take the first step towards clearer vision, contact Oakland Ophthalmic Surgery today.