Cataract Surgery

"Cataract" is a Greek word that means waterfall. Until the mid-1700's it was believed that a cataract was an opaque material, such as a waterfall, flowing in the eye. Medical discoveries later revealed that a cataract was a clouding of the eye's normally clear lens. For various reasons including injury, age, and congenital birth defects, the eye will lose transparency and the lens material of the eye turns yellow. When the lens material turns yellow, the amount of incoming light is reduced making everything appear "cloudy".

Cataracts are most commonly related to the aging of the eye and are the leading cause of visual disability in people over the age of 65. Seventy-five percent of all cataracts are age related and more than half of American seniors have a cataract. Adult cataracts develop slowly and painlessly with a gradual loss of vision. Recent medical research indicates that exposure to excessive sunlight and smoking may accelerate the development of cataracts.

More frequent eyeglass and contact lens changes may be a temporary remedy, but surgery is the only treatment for cataracts. Cataract surgery involves the removal of the clouded lens and replacing it with a new clear artificial lens called an intraocular lens (IOL). Cataract surgery is among the most frequent and safest surgical procedure performed each year. In fact, over a million procedures were scheduled last year with relatively few complications and patients benefiting from significantly improved vision! Recently, new advances in accommodative intraocular lens technology are also allowing some patients to enjoy clearer vision while also reducing dependence on reading glasses. You doctor can assist you in determining if cataract surgery is the best option for correcting your vision and deciding on which lens option will best meet your unique vision needs. Cataract surgery is an outpatient procedure and can be performed using local, or even topical, anesthesia. Morganton Eye Physicians is pleased to provide modern surgical procedures for the removal of cataracts at our own outpatient surgery centers which are dedicated exclusively to our patients and their eye care needs.

Symptoms of Cataracts Include:

Cloudy or filmy vision
Fading of colors
Poor night vision, especially when driving
Glare and light sensitivity
Double vision
Halos around lights
The pupil of the eye appears milky.

To learn more about Cataract Surgery, schedule an appointment today!