Cataract surgery

Impaired vision because of cataracts lowers your quality of life. You will have a difficult time enjoying hobbies or even doing routine tasks because of poor eyesight. With cataract surgery from Del Negro & Senft Eye Associates, you improve your condition and still get to enjoy the things you like doing. Our first-rate eye specialists will assess the extent of damage and offer a long-term solution.

No matter what you value most in life – working, reading, golfing, watching your children or grandchildren, or just taking in the scenery – the level of enjoyment you get out of those activities is very dependent on your sight. If your vision is clouded by cataracts, you may be limited in enjoying the things that are most important to you. Cataract surgery can significantly improve your quality of life.

When you choose cataract surgery with Dr. Del Negro, Dr. Senft, or Dr. Glatman, we make sure you have the best and most advanced options available to you. That’s why we are excited to be the first eye surgeons in the area to offer Laser Cataract Surgery to provide our patients the opportunity to achieve their best possible vision.

What is the LenSx® Laser?

The LenSx® laser is a femtosecond laser that gives Drs. Del Negro, Senft and Glatman computer controlled precision, allowing more accurate performance of some of the key steps of cataract surgery. Using a variety of highly advanced technologies, the LenSx captures precise, high resolution images of your eye. To further enhance accuracy, a patient interface connects your eye to the image-guided unit so that the LenSx laser computer and the surgeon commanding it have precise, real time images of your eye at all times during the procedure. These images allow the surgeon to accurately guide the laser in performing cataract surgery with a level of precision not previously possible.

Customized to Your Eyes

All human eyes may share the same basic anatomic structure, but every eye is unique in terms of size, depth and curvature of the cornea, size of the lens, and length of the eye. These parameters are carefully measured and mapped prior to surgery. The LenSx laser uses optical coherence tomography to capture the precise, high resolution images of your eye. This, along with the information obtained prior to surgery, allows Drs. Del Negro, Senft and Glatman to plan and perform surgery specific to each eye.

With standard cataract surgery, the incision is made with a blade and access to the cataract is obtained using a needle. Not only does the LenSx laser create extremely precise cataract incisions and break up the cloudy lens for easier removal, it also provides the surgeons with the ability to correct/improve astigmatism with more accuracy and precision than ever before.

Gentle, accurate, and precise, the LenSx laser gives Drs. Del Negro, Senft and Glatman the ability to perform blade-free cataract surgery. This allows for the best possible effective positioning of the advanced technology lens replacement implants and provides the patient with the most predictable post operative visual results.

The Advantages Are Clear

• The femtosecond laser makes more precise incisions when compared to the traditional method.
• The LenSx laser technology gives Drs. Del Negro, Senft and Glatman the ability to reduce astigmatism with greater accuracy. This allows for better performance of the advanced technology lenses and, ultimately, provides the best possible visual outcome.
• Laser precision creates a uniform, circular opening in the capsular bag that is perfectly centered; this is critical for effective lens position to ensure your best visual outcome.

Cataracts & Symptoms

What is a cataract?

Like the lens of a camera, the eye’s lens focuses to keep images of both close and distant objects clear. Over time, the lens becomes less transparent. Studies suggest that accumulated exposure to ultraviolet light causes this natural lens to cloud. Most often, this clouding takes place slowly, as proteins within the lens degenerate.

Do I have a cataract?

Cataracts generally do NOT cause pain, discomfort, redness, discharge, or sudden, alarming vision changes that would lead you to seek immediate help.

The changes caused by cataracts generally develop so slowly that you don’t notice them until they are serious enough to affect your normal lifestyle.

• Ask yourself these questions:
• Am I having difficulty driving at night?
• Is it more difficult to see distant objects?
• Does my vision seem blurred or dim?
• Have my eyes become sensitive to light and glare?
• Do I see a halo around lights?
• Do colors seem “dull”?
• Have I had to change eyeglass prescriptions more frequently than usual?
• Do I need brighter light for reading?
• Does my vision sometimes seem distorted? Do I see “ghosted” images?
• Have I experienced double vision in one eye only?

All of these are common difficulties related to cataracts. Only a professional can determine if cataracts are the cause of your symptoms. If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, it is time to call Del Negro & Senft Eye Associates to make an appointment for a Cataract Evaluation.

What causes a cataract?

Cataracts are a normal part of the aging process. While we don’t yet understand why cataracts form as we age, several risk factors have been identified:

• Exposure to the sun’s ultraviolet rays
• Smoking
• Diabetes
• Steroid use

Who can develop a cataract?

While cataracts can affect people of any age, they are most common in older adults. In fact, two-thirds of all adults over age 60 have some sign of cataract formation.

When should a cataract be removed?

When a cataract interferes with your vision and daily activities, it is time to remove the cloudy lens and exchange it for a new, crystal clear lens.

Can eye drops dissolve cataracts?

The Internet has provided a largely unregulated marketplace for those who sell unproven and ineffective treatments for everything from baldness to cataracts. The sellers’ claims may seem impressive: eye drops that supposedly ‘dissolve’ cataracts when used for several months. Other sellers tout drops that will treat the symptoms of cataracts in an effort to delay or avoid surgery. “No prescription necessary…just CLICK HERE and enter your credit card number”.

This sales pitch sometimes works because those who promote these useless but often quite expensive treatments exploit a natural fear of surgical intervention and a common misconception about what a cataract actually is.

Don’t be fooled. No matter how sophisticated the website’s claims may seem, a cataract (the clouding of the eye’s natural lens) cannot be treated with eye drops of any type, because it is located within the eye, behind the iris and the pupil…not on or near the surface of the eye.

There may be no “miracle” cure, but at Del Negro & Senft, modern surgery to correct cataracts is so CONVENIENT, COMFORTABLE, EFFECTIVE, and AFFORDABLE that many patients consider the change in their vision “miraculous.”

Simply being examined for cataracts can help to protect the health of your vision!

Your Cataract Evaluation with Dr. Del Negro, Dr. Senft or Dr. Glatman includes a dilated examination. While checking for cataracts, the doctor will have a good view of the retina and optic nerve – which is important in detecting vision-threatening conditions such as glaucoma and macular degeneration. If you are a diabetic, it is particularly important to check the retina for signs of diabetic retinopathy. Left untreated, these “silent” conditions may not cause noticeable symptoms until irreversible vision loss has occurred.

The more you know, the better you will feel!

Does even thinking about having cataract surgery make you nervous?

It is perfectly natural to be apprehensive about undergoing any surgery, particularly when it involves your eyes. Many patients have told us that their Cataract Evaluation at Del Negro & Senft was helpful in lessening this anxiety.

Treating Cataracts

Some of us still remember the way cataract surgery was performed in our parents’ day: the hospital stay, the sand-bagging, and the lengthy recovery time. The more than three million people who will have cataracts removed this year are fortunate to live at a time when cataract correction is so very convenient, safe, and comfortable.

The idea behind modern cataract surgery is quite simple: the surgeon removes the clouded natural lens and implants a new, clear lens in its place. Drs. Del Negro, Senft and Glatman remove cataracts on an outpatient basis at Seashore Surgical Institute and Jersey Shore University Medical Center, both state-of-the-art surgical facilities. No hospital stay is required.

The topical, no-stitch cataract procedure preferred by our doctors has revolutionized cataract surgery.

Topical No-Stitch Clear Cornea cataract surgery at Del Negro & Senft means:

• No stitches
• No needles
• No eye patch
• No hospital stay

Before surgery, the doctor will examine your eyes and prescribe the implantable replacement lens that will provide an appropriate level of focusing power. On the day of surgery, you may be given medication to help you relax, and the surgeon will numb the eye with eye drops. No injection is necessary and you will remain quite comfortable during the surgery. To prevent infection, the skin surrounding your eye will be cleaned, and strict precautions are observed to maintain a sterile environment.

The surgeon will use a microscope throughout the procedure. Only a very small (1/8 inch) incision is necessary because the surgeon will be using ultrasound energy to break up the lens and make it easy to remove. The surgeon then implants a clear lens in its place, and the incision seals itself closed naturally. No stitches are needed, and there are only a few restrictions on daily activities as healing takes place after surgery. No eye patch is necessary.

Can a Cataract Come Back? (Yag Capsulotomy)

No, a cataract cannot come back, but you can develop a clouding of the capsule behind the lens implant. This is called posterior capsule opacification (PCO). A yag capsulotomy is a surgical laser procedure that may be necessary to restore vision at some point months to years after cataract surgery, when a posterior capsule opacification develops.

The capsule is like a clear bag that is the natural outer portion of the lens of the eye. During cataract surgery (in which the discolored natural lens of the eye is removed), part of the front (anterior) capsule is removed while the remainder of the capsular bag remains intact. The lens implant is inserted inside this capsular bag. As long as that capsule stays clear, one has good vision. But in 10 – 30 % of people, the back (posterior) of the capsule loses its clarity over time. When this happens, an opening can be made in the posterior capsule with a laser (yag capsulotomy) to restore normal vision.

Before the laser procedure, one of our doctors does a thorough ophthalmic examination to make sure there is no other reason for vision loss.

A yag capsulotomy is painless and takes less than 5 minutes. Vision may be blurry for a short while afterwards, but usually improves during the first 24 hours.

Potential but rare complications following the procedure include infection and retinal detachment.

Intraocular Lenses

During cataract surgery, the surgeon traditionally implants a standard monofocal lens that provides excellent vision. A standard replacement lens cannot compensate for loss of accommodation due to presbyopia, so those who opt for this type of replacement lens usually need glasses to improve near vision or to fine-tune distance vision. Most standard lens recipients are happy with their choice.

Is there an alternative to the standard replacement lens?

For many people, the answer is YES. Revolutionary technology makes it possible to take vision correction to a new level by restoring youthful ability to focus on objects at varying distances. If it is important for you to be less dependent on reading glasses or bifocals, you may want to consider an advanced technology replacement lens implant. These lenses are designed to provide sharper vision with less reliance on glasses or contacts.

Which replacement lens is right for me?

This question can be answered only after careful consideration of the health of your eyes, your individual lifestyle, and the demands of your occupation and hobbies. For cataract patients, the choice is between a standard lens plus glasses or an advanced technology replacement lens implant that may help them recapture a full range of quality vision with less dependence on corrective lenses.

Before advising you, your eye surgeon will want to know more about:

• The kind of work you do
• How many hours a day you read and what types of reading you do
• How many hours a day you spend using a computer
• The types of outdoor activities you enjoy
• Your hobbies, and whether you do close work like sewing or knitting
• How much driving you do at night
• Whether you like to travel
• How bothered you are by wearing glasses

Ultimately, the decision is yours. Ask yourself, “What would my life be like if I was less dependent on glasses?” If you opt for an advanced technology replacement lens implant, your surgeon will select the technology that best meets the visual demands you face.

What are the brand names of the lenses that my surgeon may recommend?

Drs. Del Negro, Senft and Glatman may recommend a ReSTOR® advanced technology replacement lens implant. The ReSTOR lens is designed to enhance a full range of vision (near, far, and in-between), ReSTOR has a slight advantage when it comes to near vision. Your surgeon will carefully evaluate the visual demands of your individual lifestyle before recommending a particular lens. If you have astigmatism, your surgeon may recommend a “toric” lens designed to correct that condition.

TECNIS®: Is it possible to achieve a full range of vision…without glasses?

This +2.75 D multifocal lens delivers enhanced performance at 50 cm theoretical reading distance.

• Outstanding vision across all distances (near, intermediate and far)
• Enhanced performance for those favoring longer intermediate-vision activities such as reading labels while grocery shopping
• 98% of patients reported an ability to function comfortably without glasses at intermediate and far distances
• 97% of patients reported they would have the same IOL implanted again*
• The TECNIS Family of 1-Piece Multifocal intraocular lenses also offer higher-power, advanced technology implants for reading. Your personal preference, lifestyle, and overall eye health will determine which lens is right for you.

In general, your surgeon will carefully evaluate the visual demands of your individual lifestyle before recommending a particular lens. If you have astigmatism, your surgeon may recommend a “toric” lens designed to correct that condition.

References *DFU, TECNIS® Multifocal 1-Piece IOL, Models ZKB00 and ZLB00, and DFU, TECNIS Multifocal 1-Piece IOL, Model ZMB00. http://amo-inc.com/products/cataract/refractive-iols/tecnis-multifocal-family

Toric®: Can my astigmatism be corrected at the time of cataract surgery?

A person who has both a cataract and corneal astigmatism will not regain quality distance vision after cataract surgery unless the astigmatism is also corrected. The Toric lens makes it possible to correct astigmatism and cataracts at the same time and provides quality distance vision. Its unique design makes it possible to reduce, or eliminate, corneal astigmatism and significantly improve uncorrected distance vision.

Who should consider having an advanced technology replacement lens implanted?

Candidates for these advanced-technology lenses include patients age 45 or older who desire a full range of vision in each eye with less dependence on reading glasses or bifocals, as well as individuals with cataracts that impair vision. Patients with health problems, such as diabetes or a chronic infection, should wait until those conditions are under control before scheduling the procedure.

Your doctor will perform a careful examination before making any recommendation.

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