Cataract Surgery: Restoring the Lens

Do you have a cataract?

Are you tired of wearing glasses all the time?

The Zeldes Eye Center has the solution for you. Cataract patients can improve their vision through a restorative intraocular lens (IOL) procedure. After Dr. Steven Zeldes removes your cataract, he replaces it with an IOL: a soft, folded plastic lens. Unlike other cataract procedures, the AcrySof® ReSTOR® IOL used by Dr. Zeldes, improves both distance vision and near vision.

With the AcrySof® ReSTOR® lens, the patients vision is corrected throughout the entire visual spectrum. Your improved vision will enhance your ability to read items such as newspapers and computer screens. The extensive range is possible because of apodized diffractive technology of the AcrySof® ReSTOR® lens, similar technology as to that used in microscopes.

The lens, approved by the FDA in 2005, is among the most frequently implanted lenses in the world. Let the Zeldes Eye Center solve your eyeglass problem today, for more information on the IOL procedure call 248-737-6955.

As we grow older, our bodies mature and change naturally. Within the aging eye, these changes often develop into conditions that impact the quality of your vision. But if you're experiencing age-related visual problems, don't give up – with successful treatment, it may be possible to have clearer, brighter and sharper vision than you've had for a long, long time.

Some common problems with aging eyes:

Cataracts A cataract is a change in the clarity, or a "clouding," of the lens in your eye. Your crystalline lens, which is made mostly of protein and water, can become clouded enough to prevent light and images from reaching the retina. A cataract can be the reason sharp images become blurred and seeing things at night becomes more difficult. More than half of all Americans age 65 and older have a cataract¹, and cataracts are the leading cause of treatable blindness. For more on cataract treatment, read about cataract surgery.

Cataract-aged patients may also have a condition known as presbyopia.

Presbyopia As people enter their 40s, they may experience blurred vision when performing everyday "close-up" tasks such as reading, sewing or working at the computer. This condition, called presbyopia, occurs as the lens in the eye becomes less flexible, and the muscles controlling the lens weaken. This is why some people need reading glasses or need to hold objects farther away to see them.

Cataract surgery is an outpatient procedure that will only take a few hours. When you arrive, your eyes may be treated with eye drops and anesthetic to minimize any discomfort during the operation.

During this routine operation, a small incision is made in the eye. Your surgeon will use a tiny instrument (about the size of a pen tip) to remove your clouded lens. This can be done with either an AquaLase®* device, which uses gentle pulses of fluid to wash away your cloudy lens, or an ultrasonic instrument that breaks up and gently removes your cloudy lens (called phacoemulsification). Once this is accomplished, your surgeon will insert an artificial intraocular lens (IOL) into your eye.

After the procedure, you'll be given a short time to rest. Then, the very same day, you can go home. Within the next 24 hours, your doctor will probably want to see you for an evaluation. Drops will be prescribed to guard against infection and to help your eyes heal. For a few days, you may need to wear a clear shield, especially at night, to prevent you from rubbing your eye.

What is a Cataract?

The Toric Lens

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1. Eye Disease Information and Resources: Cataract Fact Sheet. Womens Eye Health Task Force: Schepens Eye Research Institute, Inc; 2003.

*The AQUALASE® device uses technology invented by Mark S. Andrew, MD, and Mylina Lincoln-Andrew, MS.