Cataract
Cataracts are common and treatment with surgery has high success rates.
To learn more about Cataracts and how they are treated, hit the links to the right, or alternatively scroll down this page which provides all of this information.
What is a Cataract?
A cataract is the clouding of the natural lens of the eye.
The clouding scatters and reduces the amount of light passing through the lens of the eye to the retina, resulting in poor vision that can present in the below ways:
- General blurring or glare
- Ghosting or multiple images
- Difficulty reading and writing
- Difficulty with night driving
- Rapid changes in spectacle prescription
In the early stages, cataracts may not be bothersome and therefore surgery is not required. When the effects of cataracts interfere with your daily activities, or when the cataract becomes so advanced that prescription spectacles no longer help, surgery can be considered.
Cataracts may develop due to a variety of factors including:
- The natural ageing process
- Prolonged exposure to UV light
- Eye trauma
- Smoking
- Diseases such as diabetes
- Long-term use of some medications (particularly cortisone)
- Hereditary factors
Cataracts usually develop in both eyes, but the rate at which they develop in each eye often varies.
Cataract Assessment
Patients who are finding that cataract symptoms are interfering with their daily activities may be referred for a cataract assessment.
A detailed clinical assessment for cataracts is performed prior to surgery. This assessment ensures that there is sufficient time for you to consider the procedure carefully and ask Dr Oakley any questions you may have.
At this assessment, your eye is examined and measurements of the shape and length of the eye are taken to determine the specifications of the artificial lens (IOL) best suited to your eye.
On the day of the assessment, you will need to make the following arrangements. This will also be communicated to you when you make your assessment booking.
- Someone to drive you home after the assessment, as your pupils may need to be dilated
- A referral from your regular optometrist or GP
During your assessment the most suitable intraocular lenses will be determined for your unique eye and visual needs.
If surgery is recommended, Dr Oakley will arrange a surgery date and advise you of all the necessary arrangements for the day of your procedure.
What To Expect From Treatment
Cataract surgery is a day procedure, usually performed under local anaesthetic and sedation. On most occasions the patient can go home, with vision improving rapidly over the next 48-72 hours.
Patients are able to regain vision and resume normal activities very quickly following surgery.
A tiny incision is made on the cornea, removing the natural but clouded lens of the eye and placing an artificial lens where the natural lens was found.
The lens best suited to your eye and individual circumstances will be discussed with you as part of your surgical assessment.
Most patients experience mild discomfort and no pain.
Small Incision Cataract Surgery
- Does not involve the routine use of injections or stitches around the eye
- Is usually performed under local anaesthesia with a light intravenous sedative
- Takes 10-15 minutes per eye although the total length of your stay at the centre will be approximately 2 hours
- Only one eye is operated on at a time. The second eye may undergo treatment the following week if necessary; usually the most affected eye is treated first
- The rate of recovery varies for each person but, as a general rule, vision improves over a 24-72 hour period
Recovery
Due to its minimally invasive nature and the fact that it is a day procedure without the use of general anaesthetic, the rate of recovery is generally very quick. This can differ for each person but in general vision improves over the first 1-3 days.
It is recommended that you have a responsible adult or carer with you for the first 12-24 hours following surgery. It is also recommended that for the first 1-3 days you take some time to recover and adhere to the following advice:
- No driving for at least 24-48 hours, or until reviewed at your postoperative appointment
- Showering is fine but avoid direct water or splashing on the eyes for the first 24-48 hours
- No rubbing your eyes for 3-4 days
- No swimming, or use of eye makeup or contact sports for 7 days
The day after your surgery you will attend your post-surgical appointment with Dr Oakley, where she will conduct a thorough assessment of your operative eye.
You will also be seen at one week and one month after surgery. However, these appointments will vary if both eyes are having surgery.
You may experience some visual side effects in the early stages after surgery as detailed below. If these persist past one month, please contact Dr Oakley’s clinic.
- Shimmering
- Occasional floating spots
- Blue or pink tinge to colours
- Fluctuating vision acuity
- Occasional light flashes
- Gritty sensation
- Crescent shaped shadow in peripheral vision
It is also recommended that you visit your optometrist every 1-2 years ongoing, to keep up your eye health even if you no longer need glasses after your cataract surgery.
What to Consider
As with any surgery, there are risks that should be considered when having cataract surgery. The good news is that these risks are very low.
There are two types of risks. Those that may result in delayed onset of vision improvement or only partial improvement of vision and those risks that are serious and may permanently affect the vision.
Approximately 98-99% of eyes will have no complications following the surgery.
One in 500 eyes will have a prolonged recovery sometimes requiring further surgery but then should recover well. Occasionally only partial improvement in vision may occur.
Less serious complications occur in approximately 1 in every 100 cases and may include excessive inflammation, corneal or retinal swelling and medication side effects. Generally, these problems resolve rapidly without any permanent effects.
However, there does remain a small risk of serious visual loss, including the possibility that the eye may be left blind. This risk is less than 1 in every 5000 operations. There are only a few potential causes, the most serious of which are infection and retinal detachment.
Other serious problems include uncontrolled eye pressure and failure of the cornea. (In less than 1 in every million cases of cataract surgery, there may be bilateral blindness from a complication in the operated eye resulting in uncontrolled inflammation in the other eye).
Despite these risks, 98-99% of operations produce excellent results very quickly.
Dr Oakley will inform you if there are any additional or specific risks for your eye(s) at your consultation.
