Cataract surgery is probably the most common surgical procedure performed in the western world today.

Cataracts are named for the white appearance of the human lens that resembles a turbulent waterfall when examined with a magnified lens. Cataracts are a fact of life for nearly all of us. Just like gray hair, some people get cataracts earlier and some later.

When the cloudiness of the natural lens increases to a degree that significantly blurs the vision or creates disabling glare, it may be time to consider having cataract surgery.

Fortunately, cataract surgery has become increasingly safe and effective due to continual quality improvements in technology and techniques. Modern cataract surgery is performed through one or more tiny incisions in the clear window of the eye, called the cornea, thus another name for the procedure is clear-corneal cataract surgery. These incisions usually do not need to have stitches (sutureless cataract surgery).

Typically the tiny fluid chamber in the front of the eye is maintained with synthetic visco-elastic fluids that are injected into the eye during the surgery. With the chamber now maintained and with microscopic control, the surgeon can create a round opening in the fragile lens capsule and evacuate the lens material with a technique called phacoemulsification (ultrasound, not laser).

The eye is now ready to have a new lens implanted that will focus images in the eye sharply again and thus eliminate blurriness and glare. Different powers and styles of intraocular lens implants can be chosen to suit the needs and desires of patients who might want to be nearsighted in both eyes, farsighted in both eyes, or have one of each (monovision).

It is also possible to use astigmatism correcting lenses and multifocal implants to achieve both distance and reading vision in many cases. Like all surgeries, cataract surgery has risks and these should always be considered in the decision making process. For a comprehensive examination and presentation about cataract surgery please contact us to set up a consultation in one of our San Francisco offices.