Cataract Surgery

About Cataracts

What Are Cataracts?

A cataract is a clouding of the eye's natural lens, which sits behind the iris and pupil. Cataracts typically develop slowly and are most commonly related to aging — though they can also occur due to injury, medications, or medical conditions.

As cataracts progress, they cause blurry vision, glare, halos, difficulty seeing at night, and fading of colors. The only effective treatment is surgical removal and lens replacement.

Common symptoms include:

The Procedure

The Cataract Surgery Procedure

A small incision is made so the cataract can be broken into microscopic particles using high-energy sound waves and a tiny ultrasound probe. This process is called phacoemulsification — the latest FDA-approved method for removing cataracts.

After the cataract has been broken up, the microscopic lens particles are gently suctioned away before a folded intraocular lens (IOL) is inserted through the micro-incision, unfolded, and locked into place.

Monofocal IOL

Standard lens that replaces your natural lens and corrects vision at a single distance. It does not correct astigmatism or provide vision at multiple distances, so glasses or contacts may still be needed — typically covered by insurance.

Multifocal / EDOF IOL

New multifocal and accommodating IOLs offer the possibility of quality vision at more than one distance, without the need for glasses or contacts.

Toric IOL

If you have pre-existing astigmatism, a Toric IOL works specifically to correct it at the time of cataract removal. There is an extra charge for this premium lens, which is not covered by insurance.