Cataracts: Fact or fiction
By Jack A. Singer, MD
Cataracts are a film that grows over your eye … Fiction
A cataract is a clouding of the natural lens within the eye. The earliest symptom is usually difficulty driving at night. In fact, most patients who see me for cataracts have voluntarily given up night driving. Headlights may seem too bright with halos or light streaks. Under bright daylight conditions, colors seem faded. Reading becomes very tiring and frequent changes are needed in your eyeglasses or contact lenses.
Cataracts are the most common cause of blindness in the world … Fact
Since cataracts develop as a natural result of aging and exposure to ultraviolet sunlight, and many developing nations have a shortage of eye surgeons, it is not surprising that cataracts remain the leading cause of world blindness. In the United States, cataract surgery is not only the most frequently performed surgery, with about 3 million procedures done each year; it is also one of the most successful. More than 99 percent of the people who come to me for their cataract surgery regain useful vision while enhancing the quality of their lives.
A cataract has to be "ripe" before it is removed … Fiction
Cataracts have nothing to do with the harvest, and can be removed at any stage. How do you know when it is time to have a cataract removed? The answer is quite simple. The time to have your cataract removed is when you believe your quality of life would be better if you could see well. Another factor to consider: the risks of cataract surgery are greater in very advanced cataracts.
Cataracts are removed using lasers … Fiction
A gel is used to numb the eye; the cataract is gently dissolved with ultrasound and vacuumed out through a tiny no-stitch incision. My patients leave Gifford’s Ambulatory Care Center about an hour following their procedure without an eye patch, and can return to daily activities such as driving, reading, bending and lifting almost immediately.
Cataracts can “grow back” after surgery … Fiction
Cataracts cannot grow back. However, months or years after the cataract is removed, a thin membrane may develop behind the lens implant that needs to be opened with a laser. The procedure is quite common and may be one reason why some patients mistakenly believe that cataracts are removed with a laser.
If a person had poor vision without glasses prior to developing cataracts, they will need to wear their glasses following cataract surgery … Fiction
A tiny lens is implanted in the eye during cataract surgery to replace the cataract clouded lens. My patients are given the option to have an “accommodating lens” versus a standard lens used in cataract surgery. It is designed to enable the eyes to automatically focus to provide a full range of vision, thereby reducing patients’ dependency on glasses or contact lenses after surgery.
Dr. Singer has been a member of the Gifford Medical Staff since 1985, is internationally known for his contributions to the field of cataract and lens implant surgery, and has offices at Singer Eye Center in Randolph.