About Cataract Eye Surgery in NYC at
Brighton Eye Care Center

What is a cataract?

There is a lens in everyone's eyes just like in a camera. The lens of your eye helps you to focus on objects near or far. To work well, the lens must be clear. As you age, the lens of your eye gradually becomes cloudy. The word cataract comes from an old Latin word for waterfall. Waterfalls produce heavy mist that can blur your vision. Cataracts have the same effect—blurry vision. Looking through a cloudy lens is like looking through a dirty window—everything is blurred.

Most people in their 60s will develop at least mild cataracts. Early on, the cataract process not only makes your lens cloudy, it also makes your lens swell a little. When your lens gets bigger, you become a little more near-sighted. So in the early stages of cataract, simply changing your glasses prescription can restore your sight.

But as you continue to age, the cataract gets cloudier, and eventually the cataract has to be removed to restore your vision.

White Cataract

What are the symptoms of Cataract? How do I know if I have a Cataract?

• Blurred Vision
• Glare
• Requiring more light to read
• Moving reading material frequently in order to see more clearly
• Difficulty driving at night
• Difficulty seeing in different light conditions
• Double vision from one eye

Blurred vision due to a cataract

If I have a cataract must I have surgery?

Not all cataracts must be operated on immediately. Some patients with cataracts don't have any symptoms. Cataract surgery is usually an elective operation. It is very personal decision and determined by the patient's needs. Patients should discuss their life style with their ophthalmologist and evaluate whether they can improve the quality of their lives with surgery. Unfortunately, there is no medicine to prevent the development of cataracts. Patients should wear UV protected sunglasses when out in sunlight.

Are lasers used for cataract surgery?

At the present time, modern day cataract surgery is usually performed by the procedure called phacoemulsification. Utilizing ultrasound, the lens in the eye or the cataract is emulsified into tiny pieces and vacuumed from the eye. Laser is used in a secondary procedure called Yag laser capsulotomy.

How is cataract surgery performed?

Cataract surgery is the most common surgical procedure performed on adults in the United States. The procedure is performed on an outpatient basis, generally takes a half-hour or less, and recovery time is usually only a few days.

Cataract surgery is a two-step procedure—first the surgeon removes your cloudy lens, and second, a new lens implant is inserted into your eye. The cloudy lens is removed with a tiny instrument that enters your eye through a small incision—usually one-eighth of an inch or smaller—and gently breaks the cataract into tiny pieces that are then removed from the eye with a miniature vacuum cleaner.

Basic steps of cataract surgery

Once the cataract is out, you will need a new lens in order to focus after surgery. Artificial lens implants—made of plastic-like materials—are used to restore your ability to focus after surgery. These implants come in many different strengths, like glasses, and before your cataract operation, your doctor will perform several measurements to determine the appropriate lens implant strength for your eye.

Once your cataract is out and your implant is in, the operation is over. Some people see better immediately or within a day or two after cataract surgery, but it is not abnormal or worrisome if your vision seems blurry for a few weeks after surgery as your eye heals. Your doctor will prescribe some eye drops for the healing period after surgery, and if you need new glasses after surgery, these will be prescribed for you once your eye is completely healed, usually about a month after surgery.

Will I need glasses after cataract surgery


This is up to every individual and depends on the patient's pre-operative eye condition. Patients with astigmatism may need glasses for distance or they may opt for a Premium Toric Lens. Most patients require reading glasses. However, some patients benefit from the new Presbyopic Lenses, which make them less dependent on reading glasses. A complete discussion with your ophthalmologist is necessary in order to determine what's best for you when it comes to receiving cataract eye surgery. NYC’s Brighton Eye Care Center in Brooklyn is happy to discuss your options.

Implant

Will my cataract grow back?

Cataracts cannot grow back, but sometimes a thin cloudy membrane grows behind the lens implant, making your vision blurry like the cataract did. This is not uncommon—it happens to roughly 40 percent of patients having cataract surgery. If it happens to you, a quick and simple laser procedure called YAG Laser Capsulotomy can be performed in the office to make a hole in the membrane for you to see through.