SERVICES
CATARACT SURGERY
WHAT ARE CATARACTS?
A cataract is a clouding of the crystal clear lens of the eye, the part of the eye that focuses on light and produces a clear image. This occurs mostly as a result of ageing. In the initial stage, this lens opacity creates the scattered reflection of light, leading to glare even in patients who otherwise have good visual acuity.
Cataract surgery involves removing the opaque/cloudy lens through a tiny incision created on the clear cornea to access and remove the hazy, distorted lens. A new synthetic lens, known as an intraocular lens (IOL), is implanted into the now-empty capsule, replacing the cloudy lens. In most cases, cataract operations are performed under local anaesthesia.
Good cataract surgery outcome requires excellent surgical skills combined with exceptional healthcare delivery. We offer several options including complex cataract surgery, premium lens cataract surgery, and cost-effective lens options.
Why is cataract surgery important?
Cataracts get worse with age and a cataract can often develop as a "senile cataract" over time, this can lead to blindness. Delaying surgery often leads to the hardening of the lens, complicating the cataract surgery.
What are the benefits of cataract surgery?
After cataract surgery, most patients perceive colours much more brightly than before the procedure and their field of vision appears significantly brighter overall. Cataract surgery should improve your vision and thus your quality of life significantly.
How do you remove cataracts surgically?
Cataract surgery involves removing the opaque/cloudy lens and implanting a transparent artificial lens into the now-empty lens capsule.
Slow and painless loss of vision- Blurred vision, as if looking through fog or a dirty window
- Double vision
- Seeing halos
- Many patients become increasingly sensitive to light, and driving at night becomes difficult.
- Colours can look faded.
Treatment
If your cataract symptoms are not significantly affecting you, you do not have to remove the cataract. New prescription lenses/glasses could be enough to improve your vision. You should, however, consider surgery when cataracts keep you from doing things you want or need to do. Cataract surgery involves removing the opaque/cloudy lens and implanting a transparent artificial IOL (intra-ocular lens) into the now empty lens capsule.
How long after the first exam can surgery take place?
During the initial exam, the patient undergoes extensive examinations and tests to determine the correct lens size and options are carefully explained and decided on. Surgery will be performed as soon as possible depending on theatre time and doctor/patient availability.
Before cataract surgery, is it still possible for patients to determine how well they will be able to see after the surgery?
The poor vision due to the opacity from the formation of cataracts prevents patients from being able to evaluate how well they will be able to see after the procedure.
Information pack
Following the exam, patients need to visit the rooms at any time suitable to them to collect an information pack where they will be taken through the entire process. All questions will be addressed, and we will ensure that you have a thorough understanding of what lies ahead. We strive to make the entire experience as effortless as possible for our patients.
Are there any risks/potential complications?
- Pain: You may temporarily feel slight pain, a foreign matter sensation or a sting, which will resolve within a few days. Please use pain-reducing medications according to the instructions provided.
- Subconjunctival bleeding: Subconjunctival bleeding (bleeding of the white of the eye) may occur. This may lead to reddening of the eyes, and it will take approximately two weeks for the blood to be absorbed.
- Infection: Infection is a potential complication that follows all surgical procedures. You should not touch your eyes or eyelids on the day of the surgery. To minimise the risk of postoperative infection, it is critical to precisely follow the prescribed postoperative medication regimen.
- Elevated eye pressure: The postoperative transient inflammation may lead to elevated pressure inside the eyes. To minimise the risk of postoperative elevation in eye pressure, it is critical to precisely follow the prescribed postoperative medication regimen.
- Under correction or overcorrection: IOL surgery is not a 100% accurate procedure. It is not possible to accurately predict how your eyes will respond to the treatment. If under-correction or overcorrection is significant, you may need to wear glasses or contact lenses. Eventually, additional refractive surgery may be necessary to achieve your best vision after more than three months.
- Inadequate position of the lens: The lens may be dislocated from the centre of the pupil. Usually, this does not affect vision. However, in case of major dislocation, retreatment may be required.
- Cloudiness of the posterior capsule: The posterior side of the capsule may become cloudy. The cloudiness may progress enough to significantly decrease your vision. In a few cases, the removal of the cloudiness of posterior capsule with laser may be required.
- Rupture of lens capsule: In rare cases, the lens capsule may be ruptured during the surgery. So, the surgery may be prolonged, or the IOL may not be inserted.
- Other complications: These include the loss of endothelial cells, uveitis (inflammation of the middle layer or centre of the eye), endophthalmitis (severe inflammation of the intraocular cavity), macular degeneration (loss of tissue in the centre of the macula), expulsive haemorrhage, distortion of the IOL and others.
- Uncommon complications include infection, uveitis (inflammation of the middle layer or centre of the eye), endophthalmitis (inflammation of the intraocular cavity), macular degeneration (loss of tissue in the centre of the macula), expulsive haemorrhage, loss of endothelial cell count, among others.
On the day of surgery
Should patients have someone accompany them on the day of surgery?
Driving after the surgery is impossible; patients should not drive to the clinic on the day of the scheduled surgery unless they have someone to transport them home.
How long is the procedure?
Before the operation, patients get eye drops for pupil dilation. Once in the theatre, patients will go through the sterilisation procedure and undergo the surgery (20 minutes). Patients can return home on the same day.
Will there be any pain during surgery?
Patients may experience slight discomfort from the eye being opened, touched, or pressed against, but otherwise should experience no pain under anaesthesia during the surgical procedure.
Recovery & aftercare
What are the precautions directly after cataract surgery?
This will be explained in detail in the information pack you will receive in the week before the surgery.
Will there be any pain after surgery?
Sensation should begin to return to the eye within several hours after surgery.
Some patients may feel a slight pain, gritty or a foreign body sensation once the anaesthesia wears off after surgery. Vision might initially be hazy, and eyes may be watery, so it may take several days for full vision to return. Although the level of pain varies from one person to another, the procedure is fairly pain-free.
How many times should I visit the clinic after cataract surgery?
Postoperative exams must be done one day, one week, one month, three months, six months, one year after the operation and once annually after this. Nevertheless, depending on the patient's condition, additional visits may be required.
When can I return to my daily activities?
Cataract surgery is considered a successful procedure, enabling you to return to day-to-day activities, including driving, soon.
How long will it take for my vision to become normal again after cataract surgery?
Vision will stabilise in approximately one month for mono-focal IOLs and approximately three months for multifocal IOLs.
Life after surgery-what to expect – long-term
To what extent will my vision be restored after cataract surgery?
Without the haze as a result of cataracts, patients will have better vision after the operation. Patients with astigmatism may also have some trouble with vision after the operation because of the existing astigmatism, which may be corrected by LASIK a few months following cataract surgery, contact lenses or with spectacles.
Will the cataract form again after cataract surgery?
During the procedure, the surgeon removes the opaque lens and leaves the capsule intact, within which the intraocular lens is inserted. A secondary cataract is not a true cataract but is when the capsule becomes opaque after surgery, reducing the patient's ability to see well. Such opacity, however, can be treated by laser, which helps restore vision.
Will the intraocular lenses last long?
Comprised of long-lasting and biocompatible material, intraocular lenses utilised in cataract procedures do not have to be replaced or maintained.
Will prescription glasses be needed after surgery?
The power of your existing prescription will no longer be appropriate after surgery. If the implanted monofocal IOL is inserted for distance vision, a patient will have issues with near vision and will require a new pair of spectacles after the condition of the eye stabilises, which may take between one to three months, depending on the lens type and the health and condition of the eye. Although multifocal IOLs allow patients to see far and near quite well without the assistance of eyeglasses for most routines, performing intricate work would still require spectacles.
Can patients undergo other operations after undergoing cataract surgery?
Patients may receive any other form of surgery.
Will cataract surgery put any restrictions on lifestyles?
You must avoid sports for one month. It's also important to wear goggles whilst swimming. Consult your physician first before performing any intense sports activities.
Following cataract surgery, can patients undergo LASIK to treat their residual near-sightedness, farsightedness, or astigmatism?
Once their vision stabilises, patients may undergo LASIK to correct residual near-sightedness, farsightedness, or astigmatism.
Will cataract surgery also treat presbyopia?
Monofocal intraocular lenses (IOLs) and multifocal IOLs are readily available for surgical insertion following cataract removal. Monofocal IOLs offer one focus point. Therefore, if the implanted lens is made to focus on distant objects, near vision will be hazy, thus requiring the help of reading eyeglasses. Even though multifocal IOLs enable patients to see far and near well without the aid of eyeglasses in most daily routines, performing intricate, precise work would still require spectacles.
What are the significant differences between mono-focal IOLs and multifocal IOLs?
Monofocal IOLs have only one focus point, whereas multifocal IOLs provide more than one focus point, both far and near.
Is the multifocal IOL reliable for anyone undergoing cataract surgery?
A pupil size that is too tiny under bright conditions will affect the lens' ability to provide near and far vision. However, mono-focal IOLs are suitable for patients with the same pupil size. Which IOLs to use is a very individualized decision and will be discussed during your consultation.
Will patients who have received a LASIK qualify for cataract surgery?
Yes.
Can a monofocal IOL inserted in a prior cataract surgery be substituted with a multifocal IOL?
Whether it can be substituted depends on the conditions of the IOL as well as the capsule, which may be assessed after pupil dilation. Such a replacement procedure is feasible within several months following cataract surgery but is rarely done.
SERVICES
CATARACT SURGERY...