What is a Cataract?

A cataract is the natural lens in our eye, which has turned cloudy, usually as part of the natural aging process. Light has difficulty passing through a cataract, so the retina, the neural receptors in the eye, only receives blurred and distorted images. Consequently, the brain only receives a dim or distorted image. If cataracts are not removed, ones vision will gradually decline to the point of blindness.

Cataracts develop for a number of reasons, such as age, trauma, and/or infection. The most common cause of a cataract is aging. Age-related cataracts develop as a result of natural changes within the lens. Some cataracts may also result from ultraviolet radiation, use of certain medications, or certain diseases. Fortunately, the advent of modern cataract microsurgery has had an extraordinary impact on the visual rehabilitation of most cataract patients.

Anesthesia

Dr. Novick utilizes two kinds of anesthesia – topical anesthesia and regional anesthesia. Topical anesthesia uses drops which numb the eye and therefore becomes unnecessary to utilize any needles. Regional anesthesia involves the gentle injecting of numbing medications into the tissues around the eye. There are advantages to each kind of anesthesia. Each patient's needs and desires are carefully considered by Dr. Novick and the anesthesiologist.

Microsurgery

Cataract surgery is generally performed with ultrasound. This process is performed with an instrument called a phacoemulsifier. Phacoemulsification uses high-speed ultrasound waves to break the cataract into tiny pieces which are then suctioned out of the eye. The surgery begins with a very small incision, between 1/8 and 1/4 of an inch, in the eye. No stitches are used.

Once the cataract has been removed a lens implant is placed in the space that the natural lens occupied. Lens implants are very small and are designed to remain permanently in the eye. The lens implants are made of a variety of special materials, and come in a variety of shapes and powers much like glasses or contact lenses.

Many people discover that lens implants improve their vision and give them greater freedom from their glasses than they enjoyed before they developed cataracts.