Cataract Procedure Or Laser Eye Treatment? Which Is The Best Alternative?

A cataract is when the natural lens within the eye (also known as the crystalline lens)

, which is usually sheer, becomes cloudy. This is mostly due to UV light or sun exposure and is a long term consequence. It generally occurs later in life as people are exposed to more UV light as they age. Congenital cataract also exists and they happen at birth or from eye injuries. Prolonged use of a variety of medications such as steroids can also result in cataracts.

If you have cataracts, your ophthalmologist will take this into account when assessing whether laser eye treatment is right for you.

Looking at an object, the light goes through the cornea of the front of the eye, through the lens, and onto the back or the retina. The structures where the light passes through are clear and so, if focused appropriately, a precise image is formed on the back of the eye.

Cataract causes the lens to turn opaque so the light that passes through it becomes garbled, resulting in a blurred figure on the retina. Because the cataract is located inside the eye, this predicament cannot be fixed with glasses or contact lenses.

Even standard laser eye treatment like Lasik or PRK cannot repair cataract because they only remold the front surface of the eye. The impression formed on the retina would still be blurry because the cataract is still in the way.

Hence, the opaque lens within the eye has to be removed to obtain clear sight. This is a two-part procedure.

Removing the Lens

Phacoemulsification is the standard approach of lens extraction. A handheld tool with an ultrasonic vibrating head is inserted into the eye via a little cut on the cornea. The crystalline lens within the eye is broken up with the high frequency vibration produced by the point. An artificial lens will be implanted in the spot left out by the minuscule pieces that will be suctioned out.

Intraocular Lens Insertion

The artificial lens replacing the natural crystalline lens is known as an intraocular lens or IOL. In a rolled-up way, the IOL is inserted into the eye through a small corneal incision. The intraocular lens is unrolled once inside the eye and positioned at the back of the iris where the natural crystalline lens once was. With the IOL, vision is corrected so glasses would not be required after cataract procedure anymore.

This surgery is done under local anaesthetic and stitches are commonly not required afterwards as the incisions made are too small. Even staying all-night at the hospital or clinic is not necessary as the eye heals naturall.

As the artificial lens placed within the eye can be of any Rx, cataract surgery (also known as lens replacement) is becoming a popular means of correcting vision surgically, especially for older patients.

by: MarieS0407

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