What Is Cataract Surgery? Everything You Need To Know

Cataract surgery is one of the most common and successful surgical procedures worldwide. As a board-certified cataract and refractive surgeon at ICON Eyecare, I’m committed to prioritizing my patients’ care, safety, and comfort and delivering high-quality outcomes. Here’s everything you need to know about cataract surgery at ICON Eyecare in the Denver area.

What is Cataract Surgery?

Cataracts are a progressive, age-related medical condition that occurs when the natural lens of the eye becomes cloudy, leading to impaired vision. Cataract surgery involves removing and replacing this cloudy lens with an artificial intraocular lens (IOL) made of acrylic, silicone, or plastic to restore clear vision. Eye surgeons typically recommend this procedure when cataracts begin to interfere with daily activities such as reading, driving, or recognizing faces.

Your First Step Toward Cataract Surgery

If you’re considering cataract surgery, then you’ve likely been experiencing cataract symptoms for quite some time, and they are beginning to negatively impact your quality of life and eye health. Your first step is to schedule a cataract consultation with our eye doctors, during which our expert team will perform a comprehensive eye exam (including eye dilation), take measurements of your eye using the most advanced technology, and review and select the IOL option that best meets your lifestyle and vision goals.

Prior to your consultation, we may ask you to refrain from wearing contact lenses so we can accurately measure the corneal curvature, which is called keratometry. Contact lenses can often change the shape of the eye’s cornea, and depending on the type and rigidity of the lens, it can take between one week and a month for the cornea to “unmold” from the shape of the contact lens.

Come prepared for your consultation with a list of medications you’re currently taking, any medical or vision symptoms you’ve recently experienced, and questions about cataract surgery or recovery. You may also want to consider arranging transportation to and from your appointment, as eye dilation can make driving difficult for some patients.

What To Expect During Cataract Surgery

On the day of your outpatient cataract surgery, you’ll arrive at our office approximately one to two hours before your procedure. You’ll be unable to drive after surgery, so arranging transportation to and from the office is imperative. We will provide you with critical presurgery instructions to review and follow, including information about fasting and which medications should be taken or avoided before surgery. We offer a sedative to help you remain calm and relaxed during surgery.

Importantly, most people experience very little to no pain during cataract surgery. We administer topical anesthetic eye drops to numb your eye before the surgery. Once your eye is numb, we begin.

There are two primary methods of cataract surgery: traditional cataract surgery and laser-assisted cataract surgery. Both methods have the same goal, are safe and effective, and generally take 20 minutes or less, but they differ in the tools and techniques used. Insurance coverage, including Medicare, can also vary depending on plan type and benefits.

Traditional Cataract Surgery

Traditional cataract surgery is also called small incision cataract surgery. In this surgery method, we make a microscopic incision in the cornea, approximately two to three millimeters, using a small scalpel. Then, we use the phacoemulsification technique to break up and remove the cataract. During this process, we use a small tool called a phaco probe that emits ultrasound waves to break up the clouded lens into small, easily removable pieces. We suction out the cataract fragments using the phaco probe while leaving the original lens capsule, which is the natural outer membrane that covers the lens, in place. Then, we insert the IOL through the same incision, which typically heals without sutures, and position it into the lens capsule.

After placing the IOL, we use the ORA System™, an elective advanced technology that can be added to your cataract surgery package, to refine the results and provide the most optimal outcome. This system uses an intraoperative wavefront aberrometer to determine how light is passing through your eye and how the eye is focusing, which allows us to make microscopic, real-time adjustments. The incision typically heals without sutures.

Laser-Assisted Cataract Surgery

Laser-assisted cataract surgery is similar to traditional cataract surgery but can offer more precise incisions and IOL placement and ensure a customized experience. We place a device over your eye that maps its surface and transmits the information to a computer. This information helps program the laser with the incision’s exact location, size, and depth. Then, we use a femtosecond laser to make the corneal incision and use the laser’s energy to break up the cataract rather than the phaco probe. At ICON Eyecare, we use the most advanced laser technology with the LenSx^® Laser, which improves precision, increases efficiency, and saves time. After suctioning out the lens fragments — the phaco probe is again used for this process — and placing the IOL, we refine your results with the ORA System™ if you’ve opted to use this technology. Like traditional cataract surgery, the incision typically heals without sutures.

Extracapsular Cataract Surgery

We may recommend extracapsular cataract surgery in certain limited situations when phacoemulsification is not possible, typically with advanced cataracts where the clouded lens may be too dense to break up. This method involves making a larger incision in the cornea and removing the lens in one piece. It may require sutures and a longer recovery time.

Recovery After Your Cataract Surgery

After the surgery, we’ll place a protective eye shield over your eye and have you rest in a designated recovery area for 30 minutes to an hour. Due to the sedative, it’s common to feel groggy immediately after cataract surgery.

Temporary side effects, such as light sensitivity, blurred vision, bloodshot eyes, or a scratchy sensation in your eyes, are common and should subside within the following days. We’ll prescribe antibiotic eye drops for the days after your surgery; taking these and following all post-surgical instructions as directed is essential to avoid infections and promote healing. You can normally remove your protective shield after only a few hours, but it’s important to wear it during sleep for approximately a week. It’s common to experience an adaptation period for your eye to adjust after removing the shield.

Although many patients report experiencing clear vision just several hours after the surgery, others may not see results for several days to a week as their eyes adjust to the new lens. We’ll schedule a post-operative visit the day or two following your surgery to ensure healing is advancing as expected and there are no complications. Avoid hot tubs, heavy lifting, and strenuous activities in the week following your surgery.

Recovery time is different for each person. Generally, full recovery from cataract surgery takes approximately four weeks. If you have cataracts in both eyes, we will most often perform the second cataract surgery one to three weeks later.

Artificial IOLs That Support Your Desired Vision Outcomes

At ICON Eyecare, we offer various IOL options, including premium multifocal and toric lenses. Costs and insurance coverage vary.

• Monofocal, or regular, IOLs: These are the most common artificial lenses and correct for a set single distance, typically long distance. With this selection, reading glasses are required for clear close-up vision. Medical insurance generally covers monofocal lenses.
• Multifocal IOLs: These premium lenses are similar to glasses with bifocal or trifocal lenses and allow for near, far, and intermediate focusing.
• Toric IOLs: Another premium lens option, toric lenses promote vision correction for patients with astigmatism.

Contact Colorado’s Cataract Experts

With over 20 years of experience, our team of board-certified ophthalmologists at ICON Eyecare is highly trained and expertly skilled in using the latest cataract surgical equipment and technology, including advanced cataract lens implants, laser-assisted cataract procedures with femtosecond lasers, and ORA testing to ensure patient safety, comfort, and high-quality results. Contact our office today to request your free cataract surgery consultation; we look forward to serving you.

About Dr. Kim

https://iconeyecare.com-doctors/dr-eva-kim/

Named a Top Ophthalmology Doctor by 5280 magazine

Eva Kim, MD, is the Front Range Medical Director for ICON Eyecare, as well as a fellowship-trained Uveitis and Cornea/External Diseases specialist and surgeon who specializes in cataract surgery and refractive surgery. In her thirteen years of experience, Dr. Kim has performed almost 7,000 cataract surgeries with a complication rate of less than 0.4%.

After receiving her BS from Stanford University, Dr. Kim went on to obtain her medical degree from the University of California, San Francisco. She completed her internship in internal medicine at Kaiser Permanente San Francisco. Her ophthalmology residency took place at Harvard Medical School/Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary before finishing her clinical fellowship in Uveitis and Cornea/External Diseases at the University of California, San Francisco.

Prior to her career at ICON Eyecare, Dr. Kim served as a comprehensive ophthalmologist, uveitis specialist, and Chief of Service at Northern California Kaiser Permanente.  For seven years she also held the role of Lead Communications Consultant, focusing on elevating the quality of physician-to-physician and physician-to-patient communication and experience. For five years straight based on patient feedback, Dr. Kim was ranked 1st out of 258 Ophthalmologists in Northern California.

In 2013, Dr. Kim was elected to the Northern California Permanente Medical Group Emerging Leaders Cohort, a two-year leadership and business course led by professors from the most prestigious business schools in the United States. She also has over eight years of medical research and resident teaching experience, is a member of the AAO and ASCRS, and has co-authored many published medical chapters, papers, and posters.