Cataract: “the clouding of the lens inside your eye occurring over time”
As the lens progressively becomes opaque you may :
- Experience gradual deterioration in the quality of your vision
- Begin to have difficulty reading
- Have trouble performing precise tasks such as sewing
- Find driving your car at night difficult due to “starburst” from oncoming headlights
- Suffer dazzle and glare in bright lights
- Find that your glasses prescription frequently needs changing/upgrading – this can be the earliest sign of cataract and can predate any clouding of the lens.
A completely clear lens (no cataract)
Example of an advanced cataract
Cataract Surgery
Surgical removal of cataracts is almost continually evolving. Historically a general anaesthetic and a week in hospital were required however modern surgery takes less than 20 minutes (average 14 minutes).
Mr Lindfield generally operates with his patients awake and uses topical anaesthetic (eye drops alone) to anaesthetise the eye. This removes the need for injections around the eye and the associated risks of bruising.
Most patients prefer this modern method of anaesthetic as it is more comfortable, less intimidating, allows faster visual recovery and usually leaves your eye looking the same as when you arrived in hospital. Bruising is very rare.
The entire theatre team are on hand to make sure that you are comfortable and relaxed. We can even play your favourite record album on our sound system if you would like.
Astigmatism
What is astigmatism? Why does it matter?
Your cornea (the clear windscreen at the front of the eye) in order for you to have perfect vision would ideally be perfectly spherical and without any warpage or imperfections. Like a precision made football.
However, in reality this is almost impossible. We are all human and hence are never perfectly spherical, symmetrical or perfect. Nature is not digital or computer designed.
Most of us have eyes that are slightly “egg shaped” or resemble a rugby ball. The curvature from left-to-right is not the same as the curvature from top-to-bottom.
An eye with no astigmatism resembles a football and is perfectly spherical
Most eyes resemble a rugby ball and have more curvature in one plane that the other
If you do have moderate or high levels of astigmatism then this can be reduced at the time of surgery. Complete correction of astigmatism is very rare but there are many options to reduce it to negligible levels. low or minimal levels of astigmatism can help to reduce your reliance on glasses for clear vision after cataract surgery.
Mr Lindfield offers the following techniques to reduce your astigmatism:
- “on axis” surgery
- Peripheral corneal relaxing incisions (limbal relaxing incisions)
- Toric intraocular lens implants
Astigmatic reduction is highly dependent on your personal circumstances and ocular measurements. Mr Lindfield will discuss this during your pre-surgical consultation.
