Cataracts are a common medical problem when the lens in your eye becomes cloudy with a layer of opacified material. It interferes with vision when it develops fully, and it may seem like you’re looking through a frosty window.
Cataract treatment depends on the stage of cataracts. At first, eyeglasses and intense lighting may help maintain good vision, but they may advance with time and impair your vision, requiring surgery.
Get your cataracts checked and corrected at Tran Vision Centre in Laredo, TX. Our eye doctors will examine your condition and determine the most appropriate mode of treatment to rectify the situation. Read on to learn more about cataract treatment.
What Causes Cataracts
Cataracts are caused by the buildup of certain proteins in your lens, which can prevent it from entirely focusing light. In addition, your body continually produces an enzyme called laminin, which helps maintain your lens’ shape and structure.
In people with cataract formation, there’s an imbalance between the amount of laminin produced and its ability to maintain lens health. This results in more protein being formed in your lens than usual, which makes it cloudy and reduces your vision. The problem could be attributed to aging.
How Are Cataracts Treated?
Since cataracts are formed from clumping lens proteins, it’s impossible to reverse the condition through prescription medicine. Once it completely blocks your vision, surgery is the most effective treatment option, the doctor removes the affected lens and implants an artificial lens called the Intraocular Lens (IOL).
The implanted lens allows proper passage of light; thus, the right image signal is sent to the brain. With the advancement of technology, eye doctors can perform different surgical techniques to treat cataracts. These techniques include:
Phacoemulsification
This modern cataract surgery approach involves breaking cataracts into small pieces using high-frequency ultrasound. A special headpiece delivers this ultrasound, which separates and dissolves the lens. When the lens breaks, the surgeon removes the fragments from the eye via a gentle suction.
The eye doctor then inserts a special implant in the eye to replace the natural lens, which was removed. They then close the incision, using a small amount of saline, which leads to swelling of the cornea, sealing the opening.
Since the incision made is small, it doesn’t require stitching, and the process only lasts around 10-15 minutes. The doctor will prescribe eye drops and provide a protective shield to aid recovery.
Extracapsular Cataract Surgery
In this cataract surgery, the surgeon makes a small incision on the cornea to remove the affected lens. The incision made is about 2.2 mm.
The affected lens is emulsified through the process of emulsification, and then removed. The doctor replaces the original lens with a foldable IOL. The procedure is quick, painless, and does not involve stitching. It has a speedy recovery, with minor astigmatism.
Small Incision Cataract Surgery
In this cataract surgery, an incision is made on the scleral tunnel, rather than the cornea. This technique is more favorable when phacoemulsification isn’t available. Then, the cataract is removed manually and replaced with an implant.
Let Our Optometrists Guide You to Cataract Recovery
During your consultation, our eye doctor at Tran Vision Centre in Laredo, TX, will help you determine the most appropriate type of cataract surgery and the best recovery course. In addition, they will guide you through your options to settle on the most comfortable choice for an easier time recovering. Contact us at (956) 791-5967 to schedule your consultation.
