Cataract Surgery
What is the treatment for cataracts?
There is no treatment for cataracts. The only remedy is to have the clouded natural lens surgically removed and replaced with an intraocular artificial lens. The severity of your vision impairment is the deciding factor. When everyday actions like driving at night and recognizing faces becomes difficult, it is time to opt for surgery with Dr. Sweeney or Dr. Venincasa. If you have cataracts in both eyes, the surgery is performed separately for each eye, allowing the first eye to recover with its new lens before removing the second bad lens. The second surgery will usually follow two to four weeks after the first.
What can I expect after my cataract surgery?
Cataract surgery is usually an outpatient procedure performed under local anesthesia. The procedure often takes no longer than 10 minutes to perform. Then, you will recover for 30 minutes or so and be taken home (you can’t drive yourself) with a pair of dark sunglasses to protect your eye from bright light. At home you will wear a protective shield over your eye when you sleep.
Many patients report clear vision within several hours after cataract surgery, but everyone heals differently. It can take a week or two to really see things in the sharpest focus. Until then, there can be some blurry vision, as your eye adjusts to the removal of the cataract and the intraocular lens that replaced it. There is not usually any pain associated with recovery.
