Monthly Archives - May 2012

Cataract surgery is one of the most commonly performed medical procedures in the United States. Each year more than a million people over 60 have cataracts removed from their eyes in a relatively simple operation that usually does not take more than an hour to undergo. Fort Worth cataract surgery is done on an outpatient basis, meaning patients can go home the same day and recover where they are most comfortable. Although the recovery is also a relatively simple one as compared to other more invasive surgeries, there are still some side effects all patients should be aware of before making the decision to have cataracts removed.

As with any surgery, the possibility of infection does exist. The most common eye infection to occur is called endophthalmitis, which results in burning, redness and blurred vision. There is also a possibility of bacterial conjunctivitis (most often known as “pink eye”). Your Fort Worth cataract eye surgery doctor will prescribe you antibiotic drops both before and after the surgery prophylactically in order to help prevent infection. You must take them as directed for the best possible outcome.

Swelling is another possible side effect of cataract surgery in Fort Worth. Fluid may build up near the retina and result in inflammation. Usually, this does go away on its own within a few weeks, but if it does not anti-inflammatory eye drops can be prescribed. If those do not work, steroid injections in the eye can also be used, but that only occurs in rare cases.

Other and much more rare side effects may occur years after the surgery is performed. Your vision can become blurry again when the part of the eye lens that was not removed during the initial surgery becomes clouded. A laser technique can be used to resolve this and it is considered to be a safe procedure.

To help avoid these side effects, post op instructions must be followed. Use the dark sunglasses your doctor will give you to protect your eyes from ultraviolet sunrays for several weeks. Also, avoid cosmetic products, as well as hot water and soap around the eye. Although the procedure was a simple and quick one, your eye or eyes still went through a trauma and need to recover correctly. Despite the care you must take after surgery and the side effects that may occur, most people find undergoing cataract surgery was the right decision. Blurry vision becomes clear again and the quality of life that the gift of sight brings is enormously improved.

Although cataracts are certainly not an elective condition, the surgery to have them removed is most often elective. Some people feel they can live with the effects of cataracts and since they do not usually harm the actual eye, they choose to not do anything about them. Perhaps they are fearful of the unknown or medical procedures in general. So, when choosing whether to have Fort Worth cataract eye surgery, it is best to know what exactly the surgery entails in order to make an educated decision.

Cataract surgery in Fort Worth involves the removal of an eye lens infected with cataracts, a condition that causes blurred and cloudy vision. Once the lens is removed, it is replaced with an artificial lens and clearer vision is restored. This procedure should take no more than an hour and there are several ways in which to do it. A method called Phacoemulsification is the most common way cataract surgery is performed. With this method a thin ultrasound is inserted into the eye. The ultrasound vibrations are used to break up and dissolve the lens, and then suction the small fragments of the lens out of the eye before replacing it with the new artificial one. You will be given numbing drops so your eyes feel none of this, and possibly a mild sedation medicine. However, it will be mild enough so that you are awake for the entire surgery.

For more advanced cataracts, a method called Extracapsular cataract surgery is used. The cataracts have caused the lens to be too thick to break up before removal so a larger incision than normal has to be made and the lens is removed in one piece rather than in tiny pieces. Because the incision is larger, more stitches will be necessary, so the recovery time from this method is usually longer. The doctor may also ask patients to wear an eye patch after this type of Fort Worth cataract eye surgery.

Whichever method is used, cataract surgery is done on an outpatient basis usually in an ambulatory surgery center. Your vision will still be cloudy immediately following the procedure, so you will not be able to drive safely and will need a ride home.  You will also need to follow your doctor’s strict orders to achieve optimum healing, and this includes using post-op prescription eye drops. However, within weeks you will see significant visual improvement and know your decision to undergo cataract surgery was the right one.