Understanding The Different Types Of Cataract Surgery
Posted on: 13 August 2015
Your eye doctor told you that you are a good candidate for having your vision improved through cataract surgery. There are three techniques used for this procedure and which one your doctor uses affects your recovery. Here is a description of these techniques and what you can expect when recovering from each.
Some Common Elements
Each of these procedures are done as an outpatient in the ophthalmologist's office or clinic. You may be given some medication to relax you, if you're anxious about the surgery, but you will be awake during the procedure. Your eye will be numbed with eye drops so you'll feel no pain during the surgery. The goal of each procedure is to remove the cloudy lens and insert an artificial lens so you can see. Your eye doctor will have an idea of which of the following procedures they will use before they get started, but they may use a different one once they begin working with your eye.
Phacoemulsification
In this procedure, a small incision is made in the eye through which a thin instrument is inserted. Using ultrasonic vibrations, this tool breaks up the old lens into tiny pieces and suctions them out of the eye. Your doctor leaves the thin tissue container that held the old lens. The new lens is then placed in this container. No stitches are required with this procedure. You'll have less itching in the eye with this procedure and will likely not need to wear an eye covering during the healing.
Extracapsular
If the cataract is so dense that it can't be broken into pieces, a procedure is used to remove it in one piece. This requires a larger incision to be made in the cornea so your doctor can grab the lens and remove it. The tissue container is again left intact to hold your new lens. Your doctor will use several stitches to close the incision. This increases your recovery time as the incision heals. The stitches may also make your eye itch as it heals so you'll likely wear an eye patch for a few days to prevent you from rubbing your eye.
Intracapsular
If your doctor can't save the tissue container that holds the lens, they will have to take that out as well. The new lens will then need to be positioned elsewhere in the eye, often in front of the iris instead of the normal location behind it. A larger incision is made which extends the time to heal and how long you have to wear an eye patch.
The result of each of these procedures is the same: replacing the cloudy lens with a new one so you an see clearly again. Your recovery time will be different, as will the requirement to wear an eye patch. Regardless of the procedure used, you can look forward to being able to see the world clearly again.
For more information, contact Midwest Eye Care PC or a similar location.
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