Cataract Eye Surgery

Clear Advantage Vision Correction Center and Eyesight Ophthalmic Services has been in the forefront of vision correction for over 20 years now. We offer unmatched experience utilizing the best available technology in a highly personalized manner.

Thanks to increasingly sophisticated artificial lenses, cataract surgery has made tremendous advances in recent years. Today's procedures offer shorter recovery times, are considered painless, and result in an infrequent need for glasses or contact lenses. The types of lenses available today are so advanced that they are even attracting those individuals who don't have cataracts, but want to decrease their dependence on glasses for all ranges, such as distance, intermediate and near ranges. This can often eliminate the need for glasses and even bifocals.

What is a Cataract?

A cataract is a slowly expanding patch in the eye's crystalline lens. A cataract is formed when the combination of water and proteins that make up the lens changes. In a healthy eye, the lens is completely clear, allowing light to pass through the lens to the retina (back of the eye) without obstruction, bringing with it the images we're focusing on. As this lens becomes a cataract, it gets cloudy and does not allow light to reach the retina as well as when it was clear. This results in blurred vision.

Some typical symptoms of a cataract include:

• Blurry vision, which increases every year causing more frequent adjustments of your eyeglasses or contact lenses
• Fading colors
• The presence of glare and halos around bright lights and consequent trouble with night vision
• Double vision

Intraocular Lenses

At first, it may seem as though a new pair of glasses or contact lenses take care of the problem, but this is a temporary solution because these measures don't address the cataract directly. The only treatment that directly treats it is cataract surgery, which involves removing the natural lens of the eye and replacing it with an intraocular lens (IOL).

At Clear Advantage Vision Correction Center and Eyesight Ophthalmic Services, we can replace the clouded natural lens with a variety of intraocular lenses tailored to your individual needs. An intraocular lens will remain in the eye for life and will need no particular care. It will simply be a part of your eye. The improvement in your vision will be almost immediate.

In the past intraocular lenses (IOL's) were large pieces of plastic that would mainly fix the clouding problem, but often times left the patient with the need for glasses for all ranges after surgery.

Today the doctors at Clear Advantage and Eyesight Ophthalmic Services offer modern, no-stitch, microincisional cataract surgery with the greatest IOL's available. We routinely offer the Bausch and Lomb Aspheric IOL, the Alcon Toric IOL, and the Eyeonics Crystalens IOL.

Crystalens™

In November 2003, the FDA approved Crystalens. Crystalens is the first alternative offered for patients that desire seamless vision for distance, intermediate (arms length) and near (reading). It features small hinges that allow it to accommodate, i.e., to change shape for vision at different distances, in a way analogous to what our natural lens did when we were younger. In addition, the Crystalens can treat presbyopia, which is the need for reading glasses that overtakes us all after about age 40. In March of 2005, Medicare also approved the Crystalens as an alternative to monovision lenses, which offers Medicare patients the flexibility of choosing better technology to improve vision after cataract surgery.

ReStor™

The AcrySof ReSTOR ® Intraocular Lens replaces the natural lens. It has a patented optic design using apodization, diffraction and refraction technologies. Apodization is a gradual reduction or blending of the diffractive step heights. The apodized diffractive optic design gives ReStor the ability to focus light correctly on the retina for images at various distances without mechanical movement of the lens. This unique technology optimally manages light energy delivered to the retina because it distributes the appropriate amount of light to near and distant focal points, regardless of the lighting situation.

ReZoom™

The ReZoom ™ Multifocal Lens has carefully proportioned visual zones that offer patients vision at varying distances. Each ReZoom ™ Multifocal Lens is divided into five different zones with each zone designed for different light and focal distances. Unlike other earlier multifocal lens designs, the ReZoom ™ Multifocal Lens has proportioned the size of its zones to provide for good vision in a range of light conditions. For instance, some zones have been designed to offer greater low light-distance vision during night driving whereas others provide better bright light-near vision for close vision activities.

AcrySof Toric Lens

Alcon Laboratories, Inc. (Fort Worth, TX), received FDA approval for the Acrysof Toric IOL in October of 2005. This new lens is a modification of the company's single-piece lens, which was previously only available in an acrylic material. The optic design remains the same, allowing for the correction of pre-existing astigmatism in cataract patients to provide enhanced distance vision.

SofPort® AO Lens

The SofPort® AO lens is the first and only IOL with two aspheric surfaces for optimal visual outcomes. Unlike competitive aspheric lenses, each aspheric surface of the Bausch & Lomb SofPort® Advanced Optics Aspheric Lens contributes to consistent optical performance. Newer-generation silicone with proven biocompatibility provides further assurance for exceptional post-operative outcomes.

The Procedure

There'll be a preliminary visit when your eye doctor will take eye measurements and decide which type of IOL will be best. This will be determined by your lifestyle and expectations after the procedure as well as the overall health of your eye.

During the surgical procedure, which is done in the same day surgery part of the hospital, the clouded natural lens is removed, and then the IOL is positioned. The entire time spent at the hospital will be roughly 2 hours.

• You will need to check in at the hospital to register, they will then bring you to the operating room waiting area.
• Several doctors and nurses may speak with you, and several consent forms must be signed prior to surgery.
• An intravenous line will be placed in your arm and several eye drops will be placed in your eye. A stretcher will then take you to the operating room.
• After you are situated comfortably on the operating table, you will be given oxygen and given medication through your intravenous line to make you drowsy.
• The eye and skin will be cleaned and a drape will be placed over your body exposing only the eye that is to be operated on.
• You will be awake for the surgery. It will take about 10 to 15 minutes.
• Either a gauze patch, eye shield, or sunglasses will be placed over the operated eye and you will be transported to the recovery area. You will be there about 45 minutes before you are ready to go home.

Afterwards

You'll be astounded at the improvement in your vision. It'll be evident within that first day, although you may feel like taking the rest of the day off. You can return to work after one or two days and we'll give you several follow-up appointments to make sure that everything moves forward normally.

• You will have an appointment to see us the day after surgery. Your vision may be good enough to drive to the follow up appointment. Ask your surgeon if you are not sure.
• No restrictions on bathing, showering, shampooing hair, having a permanent or drying your hair, BUT NO SWIMMING under water for 1 week
• When bathing, try not to get soapy water or shampoo in your eyes.
• Use your eye shield when sleeping or napping for the first week after surgery.
• You may travel in an airplane, read and watch television.
• You may bend over to put on socks, shoes or to pick up things.
• You may sleep in any position.
• Please refrain from any vigorous physical activity that might increase your chances of falling and hitting your operated eye (such as skiing, skating, tennis, etc.) for 1 WEEK. It is okay for you to take a walk or play golf as long as you are wearing eye protection. If you are unsure about an activity, please ask.
• It is not unusual to experience watering, a foreign body or a scratchy sensation for the first few weeks after surgery as the eye heals. It will improve with time.
• It is normal to see some redness in your eye after surgery. This will clear in a few days.
• It is okay to use lubricating (artificial tears) eye drops.
• Temporary floating spots and brief flashes are common the first week following surgery.

Sometimes there are some side effects for perhaps a month or so, while your eye becomes used to its new lens. You may have some blurry vision, or increased sensitivity to bright light, or more dryness of the eyes. If necessary, we can do some follow-up procedures, but in almost all cases, the immediate result is astounding and remains that way, so that no further action is needed.

Frequently Asked Questions about Cataract Surgery

1-866-30-CLEAR
603-501-5000

Clear Advantage Vision Correction Center

Hours of Operation
Mon, Tue, Wed, Fri: 8am - 5pm
Thurs: 8am - 8pm

Jackson-Gray Medical Building
330 Borthwick Ave, Suite 306
Portsmouth, NH 03801

Fax: 603-501-5001

Come meet Dr. N. Timothy Peters and staff, and learn more about cataract eye surgery options at Clear Advantage. We are conveniently located on Borthwick Ave. in Portsmouth, directly across the street from the Portsmouth Regional Hospital.

Upcoming Seminar Dates:

• Tuesday, April 22nd at 6pm
• Tuesday, May 27th at 6pm

Please call or click here to register for the next seminar.