Cataracts form with aging and are most common among people over the age of 60. With aging, the proteins of the natural lens begin to deteriorate and cloud your vision. Other conditions, including genetics, eye trauma, and ultraviolet light exposure are believed to factor into the speed with which cataracts develop.
Cataracts are found in some degree in approximately 65% of people over the age of sixty and in over 80% of people over the age of seventy.
The natural lens of the eye will, for many of us, harden and become cloudy as we age. As the cloudiness progresses, it forms a cataract. As the cataract matures, the retina receives less and less light, which in turn distorts and blurs vision. Fortunately, cataracts can be removed through surgery and replaced with an artificial lens.
Cataract surgery has evolved greatly every generation. Modern cataract surgery techniques are minimally invasive, and don't reven require stitches, and have phenomenally good results. In fact, premium Lifestyle Lenses can allow cataract patients to see clearly at all distances - near, far, and everything in between.
The most common noticeable effect of a cataract is blurry, cloudy or hazy vision. This symptom may affect only a small portion of your field of vision at first, but will likely spread to the rest of your lens (and field of view) over time. Other symptoms of cataract growth include a dulling or yellowing of colors, increased glare or halos from light sources (such as the sun or headlights), and poor night vision.
Another sign of a cataract is having a distortion similar to double vision in a single eye.
Cataract surgery involves removing the eye's cloudy natural lens and replacing it with an intraocular lens implant, or IOL.
Cataract surgery is a relatively gentle procedure. The eye's natural lens is liquefied by phacoemulsification and suctioned out, and the replacement lens is inserted in a folded position. These innovations ensure that the smallest possible incision is made in the cornea. This incision, with proper placement, can also aid the patient by correcting astigmatic errors.
Cataract surgery is a no shot, no stitch, no patch procedure that takes about 20 minutes. Lifestyle Lenses add a new array of benefits to patients who want to reduce their dependence on bifocals and reading glasses after cataract surgery.
Premium lens technology can give a full range of vision in comparison to the traditional lenses used in cataract surgery that only provide vision correction for distance. To learn more about the different Lifestyle Lenses we offer, click here!
Most often times, yes! Although it depends on your medical insurance plan, most health insurance coverage insures your cataract surgery. However, Lifestyle Lens implants are considered an upgrade, and therefore are not covered by Medicare or any other insurance. This adds some out-of-pocket cost for premium intraocular lens implants.
Did you know?
Dr. Lee is one of the few physicians in the country performing Ultra Thin DSEK procedure.
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