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What is Cataract?
Cataract is the name given to the disease that occurs as a result of the lens inside the eye losing its transparency. Our normally transparent lens helps us focus the image on the retina by refracting the rays coming into the eye, but when cataract develops, its transparency changes and a blurry image occurs.
Why Does Cataract Occur?
The most common known cause of cataract disease is old age, but cataracts can develop in any age group, including the newborn period. Other causes of cataracts include genetic predisposition, diabetes, cortisone drug use, uveitis and glaucoma.
What are the Symptoms of Cataract?
The most obvious symptom of cataract disease is decreased vision. Frequent changes in eye numbers, especially in people over the age of 60, deterioration in distance vision and a relative improvement in near vision are signs of cataract disease. As the transparency of our lens decreases, there is a significant decrease in the quality of vision. Sometimes patients may not realize when a cataract develops in one eye. It can sometimes be difficult to notice when the other eye sees well. We advise our patients to close their eyes one by one and test from time to time.
Treatment of Cataract Disease
The only known treatment for cataract disease is surgery. The most common surgical procedure all over the world is cataract surgery.
When Should Cataracts Be Treated?
In case of cataract disease, when the person’s vision reaches a point where it affects his/her quality of life, surgery should be performed without waiting. In cataract disease, in the old technology, it was recommended to wait for the tissue to mature, but thanks to new devices and advanced technological lenses, we can now perform this surgery without waiting for the cataract to mature.
How are Cataract Surgeries Performed?
Cataract surgeries are performed under local anesthesia with the phacoemulsification method, that is, by dividing the lens inside the eye into pieces with the help of ultrasound energy and removing it. In this surgery, it is possible to perform 1/3 of the surgery with the help of Femtosecond Laser.
Which Lenses Are Preferred in Cataract Surgery?
The artificial lenses that we will place in the eye during cataract surgery are calculated using special formulas and carefully selected to ensure that they are personalized and will minimize eyeglass dependency on the market. There are Monofocal, Edof, Trifocal (smart lens) and Toric lens options, all of which have astigmatic options.
Monofocal Lenses
Monofocal lenses, as the name suggests, have a single focus. If we choose these lenses, the person will not have to use glasses for far distance, but will only use glasses for close distance. Single vision lenses also have astigmatic (Toric) options.
Edof Lenses (New Generation Smart Lens)
Edof lenses, also known as new generation smart lenses, have two focuses in their design; far and intermediate distance. If we choose this lens, the person will not need glasses for distance vision in daily life and at distances between 45-60 cm, which we call intermediate distance, such as driving the car’s dashboard or using a computer at a desk. However, for text in small print, such as the Prospectus text, close glasses will be required. If the person has astigmatism, Edof lenses also have Toric options that can correct astigmatism.
Trifocal (Smart Lens) Lenses
As the name suggests, with smart lenses that have three focuses, there will be no need for glasses for distance and near vision, independent of glasses, after surgery. These lenses also have a Toric option for people with astigmatism.
Frequently Asked Questions About Cataract Surgery
During cataract surgery, the lens that has lost its transparency inside the eye is removed and replaced with artificial intraocular lenses. During this surgery, if the person’s eye structure is suitable, we can also use Smart lenses, which we call Trifocal Lenses.
Sometimes we encounter opinions from our patients such as, “Let’s choose the best lens, let’s choose the best lens.” Since the lens we will place in your eye during cataract surgery will remain in your eye for life, we will of course have to choose the best lens, but the view that the most expensive lens is the best lens is completely wrong. Trifocal lenses are more expensive than single vision lenses, but trifocal lenses may not be suitable for every patient. What we mean by the best lens is never the number of focuses. The most important emphasis here is actually on the material of the lens, its optical quality, is there any fogging on the lens after the surgery? What are the rates of calcification behind the lens, which we call secondary cataracts? Considering all these, it is better to choose the best lens.
In summary, after a detailed examination, rather than the most expensive lens, we will need to find the most ideal lens for your eyes and the highest quality lens in terms of design.
Cataract surgeries are performed with topical anesthesia (Drop Anesthesia). There is no pain during and after the surgery.
The surgery takes approximately 10-15 minutes. After the surgery, we can send our patients home after giving them a rest in the hospital.
In cataract surgeries, we remove the lens that has lost its transparency inside the eye and replace it with a regenerative intraocular lens. When deciding on the design of this lens, we evaluate it according to your eye structure, profession, lifestyle and even your personality and decide on the lens that is most suitable for you.
We do not prefer to change the lenses inside the eye, but it is possible to change them in special cases, although very rarely.
It is possible for a patient who previously had a monofocal intraocular lens to be replaced with a trifocal lens if he or she wishes. At the same time, it is possible to make it trifocal by placing a second lens with the recently developed ADD-ON lenses.
For more than 10 years in cataract surgery, we have been able to perform certain stages of this surgery without touching the knife by using Femtosecond-Laser technology.
Complaints such as burning, stinging and watering after cataract surgery are common complaints we hear. It is possible to minimize these complaints with special drops. Please contact your doctor.
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