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Health & Fitness

Cataracts and Your Vision

A cataract is the natural aging of the lens in our eye. Symptoms include blurred vision and glare.The newest innovation is laser assisted cataract surgery and premium IOLs to replace the natural lens.

Let’s Talk About Cataracts
Cataracts occur in the lens of the eye. The lens is located behind the pupil and the iris. The lens takes the light coming into the eye and bend it so that it forms an image on the retina. The retina then transmits the image to the brain.  A cataract will blur this image.


Symptoms of Cataracts
Have you become more sensitive to light and find that your night vision has decreased? Then you may have a cataract.  Here are some additional signs and symptoms:

  • Blurred vision (especially at distance)
  • sensitivity to light
  • trouble with glare
  • finding that colors are not as bright as they once were
  • frequent changes in eyeglass prescriptions
  • increase in glare while driving at night from oncoming headlights


Most cataracts associated with aging develop slowly, many patients do not notice their visual loss until it has become severe. Patients describe seeing through a cataract is like looking through a cloudy or dirty glass. Some cataracts remain small and never need treatment; others grow more quickly and progressively larger. Only when a cataract interferes with normal activities is it time to consider surgery.
If you have been diagnosed with cataracts, extra light can aid in reading. Since cataracts block light, the extra light will make it easier to read. Make sure that the light is coming from behind you as opposed to from in front. Light coming from in front of you can reflect off of your reading material and cause glare. It is helpful to have a lamp with a goose neck so that you can adjust the light to see better.

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Why do we get Cataracts?
No one knows exactly why the eye’s lens changes as we age, forming cataracts. Researchers are slowly starting to identify factors that may cause cataracts — and information that may help to prevent them. Many studies suggest that exposure to ultraviolet light is associated with cataract development, so eye care practitioners recommend wearing sunglasses and a wide-brimmed hat to decrease your exposure. Cataract incidence increases for users of steroids, diuretics and major tranquilizers, but more studies are needed to distinguish the effect of the disease from the consequences of the drugs themselves.


Surgical Options for Patients with Cataracts
If you are diagnosed with a cataract, the procedure to remove them has improved enormously over the past decades. In cataract surgery, the natural lens where the cataract forms is removed and replaced with an intraocular lenses, or IOL. If you have your cataracts removed and don’t replace them with anything, then you would have to wear very thick eyeglasses. The first FDA approval for IOLs occurred in 1981.
IOLs in most cases only correct distance vision. This leaves you with the need to use glasses for any near vision tasks. However, there is a new premium lens IOL called the AcrySof® ReSTOR® lens that can reduce your dependency on glasses. While 80% of patients will not need to wear glasses, you may need to wear glasses for certain tasks, such as working on a computer, or night driving. 

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Do you have a cataract and an astigmatism?

Until recently, the only vision correction options for astigmatism correction after cataract surgery were eyeglasses or contact lenses. However, the AcrySof® Toric IOL now makes it possible to correct astigmatism during cataract surgery.


What's new in Cataract Surgery?
The newest innovation in cataract surgery is precise, computer-customized, bladeless cataract surgery!
There are only a small number of these specialized lasers in the country and Solinsky EyeCare is proud to make this surgery available to their patients. Both David Jeng, M.D. and I have been selected to be among the first surgeons to perform bladeless cataract surgery in Connecticut and all of New England. The LenSx Laser is located at the Hartford Hospital Eye Surgery Center in Newington, CT.
Leading eye surgeons consider bladeless laser cataract surgery to be the wave of the future. In 5 to 10 years, most, if not all, cataract surgeries will be performed with a laser, but you don't have to wait. Dr. Jeng and I have brought the future of cataract surgery to Connecticut and New England now.


How does this surgery differ from the traditional way?
The FDA-approved LenSx® laser system is based on the same femtosecond technology used during bladeless LASIK surgery. It gives the surgeon unprecedented image-guided control and the ability to plan and customize every procedure to the unique characteristics of each patient’s eye. The laser’s increased precision and accuracy translate into better visual outcomes and may increase the likelihood of seeing well without glasses following cataract surgery. The LenSx® laser platform also integrates optical coherence tomography (OCT) to capture high-resolution images of your eyes. Its proprietary software control system analyzes these images of your eye; helps the surgeon to design a customized procedure; and then, visualizes and performs the procedure on command from the surgeon! For enhanced accuracy and safety, a patient interface connects your eye to the image-guided surgical unit, so that the surgeon has precise control of your eye throughout the procedure.


Does my Insurance pay for Cataract Surgery?
When a visually significant cataract is found and surgery is necessary, your insurance covers the traditional costs for cataract surgery with a basic IOL lens. Insurance will not cover the additional cost for the premium lenses.

Please contact our office for your appointment today:
1013 Farmington Avenue
West Hartford, CT 06107
(860) 233-2020

www.SolinskyEyeCare.com for more information on cataract surgery and patient testimonials on their experience with the LenSx laser system.
Reference: http://www.acrysofrestor.com/, http://www.allaboutvision.com
Read a patient testimonial about her experience with AcrySof® ReSTOR®.

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