Cataracts

Optometry Clinic in Wetaskiwin, Alberta

Cataract Surgery Co-Management

Cataracts occur when the natural lens inside your eye becomes cloudy. Cataracts prevent clear images from appearing on the retina causing mild, moderate, or even severe blurred vision.

Typically an eye disorder associated with aging (over half of the people over age 80 either have cataracts or have had cataract surgery), cataracts generally occur later in life as the lens structure within the human eye changes and gets older. In addition to age, other risk factors that lead to cataracts include eye injuries, smoking, UV overexposure and diabetes.

During the evaluation of your eye health we will carefully examine your lens for signs of cataract formation. If a cataract is diagnosed and the clouding is causing visual disruption, the optometrist will refer you to a trusted and respected eye surgeon for cataract surgery. Doctors Eyecare Wetaskiwin will be there for you to provide pre and post cataract surgery care.

CATARACT SURGERY

Cataract surgery is the removal of the natural lens of the eye (also called “crystalline lens”) that has developed an opacification, which is referred to as a cataract. Metabolic changes of the crystalline lens fibers over the time lead to the development of the cataract and loss of transparency, causing impairment or loss of vision. During cataract surgery, a patient’s cloudy natural lens is removed and an artificial intraocular lens implant is inserted to restore vision.

Cataract surgery is generally performed by an ophthalmologist (eye surgeon) in an outpatient setting, in a surgical center or hospital, using local anesthesia which usually results in little or no discomfort to the patient. Post-op recovery is usually only a few days. We will assess your post-op healing process two weeks and eight weeks after surgery.

LEARN MORE

The more you know about cataracts, the better prepared you will be to deal with them – or help prevent them in the first place!

Learn more about the causes, symptoms and treatment options for cataracts. Here