Cataracts affect 24 million Americans age 40 and older. Essentially, a cataract is a natural lens that goes from clear to foggy over your lifetime; this might happen in your 40s, 50s, 60s, and beyond. Eventually, it gets foggy enough that patients start to develop symptoms. The surgeon uses ultrasound energy to break up the cataract or emulsify it, then vacuum it out and replace it with a new clear lens implant.
Cataract surgery has come a long way over the last decade. Most recently, the focus has been on minimally invasive surgery in which surgeons make smaller incisions on the eye, which translates to a faster recovery time. Some patients are able to reduce eye drops or eliminate the use of eye drops altogether following surgery.
“These technologies allow us to tackle the more mature cataracts with fewer complications after surgery,” says Dr. Samantha Schockman, a cataract surgeon and cornea specialist with Cincinnati Eye Institute (CEI). “A lot of the ultrasound machines have really improved over the last five to ten years to allow for that.”
Many cataract surgeons perform micro-invasive glaucoma surgery (MIGS), which has allowed a lot of the more comprehensive cataract surgeons to also help patients with mild to moderate glaucoma at the time of surgery.
At CEI, they have enough sub-specialty surgeons that perform a lot of combination procedures. For example, if a patient has a retina pathology as well as a cataract, they can have two surgeons at the same time.
“It really reduces the burden for patients to be able to do that,” says Dr. Schockman.
While everyone will eventually develop cataracts during their lifetime, when they become problematic is different for everyone. The timing of when patients come to see Dr. Schockman is driven by their symptoms. For instance, some patients pursue surgery once they start seeing halos at nighttime and have difficulty driving. Others struggle to read fine print, even while wearing glasses.
“Golfers tell me they can’t see the ball anymore. Sewers get frustrated when they can’t clearly see the pattern. Artists complain they can’t see colors as well,” says Dr. Schockman. “The bottom line is that people come to see me once it becomes bothersome enough that they can’t do what they love.”
Though there are different cataract surgery techniques, at the end of the day, the procedure is the same no matter what technique is used. A typical cataract surgery only takes about ten minutes. The eye is numbed and the patient is sedated.
Recovery is quite fast. A lot of people notice their vision has improved the very next day. And patients don’t feel pain—just perhaps a little scratchiness for a day or two as it heals.
The latest in technology is the premium intraocular lenses, which enable cataract patients to see better than ever. While patients can choose from different implant styles and packages, these new premium lenses can allow patients to get rid of their glasses prescription.
“Even if you’ve been nearsighted or far-sighted your entire life, these new lenses can correct for distance and near vision or astigmatism if you have that all at the same time,” says Dr. Schockman. “These patients can come in being glasses-dependent their whole lives and then after cataract surgery can be glasses- independent. It’s pretty amazing.”
She recently saw a patient whose prescription was around minus 20, which is a huge amount of nearsightedness. The patient also had a lot of astigmatisms and couldn’t read her phone without putting contacts in. After surgery, her vision was 20/20.
“The surgery can be completely life-changing for patients,” says Dr. Schockman. “In fact, I have patients who come in hoping to have cataracts so they can get this procedure done!”
Though patients typically feel anxious leading up to cataract surgery, according to Dr. Schockman, the vast majority are shocked to see how easy it is and comment that they wish they had done it sooner.
“My patients tell me that colors are brighter and that things are much more vivid,” says Dr. Schockman. “They say it’s like living in high definition again.”
Cincinnati Eye Institute is a partner practice of CVP Physicians. There are 16 clinic locations in Greater Cincinnati. To make an appointment, visit cincinnatieye.com