Cataract Beverly Hills Archives

Should I Consider a Premium IOL If I’m Having Cataract Surgery?

Paul Stubenbordt on September 24, 2020

Cataracts form in the lens, making it become cloudy. The only way to treat them is to remove the entire lens during cataract surgery.

Before modern cataract surgery, this left patients without any lens in their eyes. They had to wear very thick glasses to see again.

But thanks to modern medicine, your lens can now be replaced with an artificial one called an IOL, or intraocular lens. IOLs also come in several varieties.

Some are more advanced than others. But do you need a more advanced, premium IOL? It depends.

Keep reading to find out if you should consider a premium IOL if you’re having cataract surgery!

Standard vs. Premium IOLs

Cataract surgery is often covered by medical insurance as it’s considered a necessity. But most insurances only cover one kind of IOL, which is the standard monofocal lens.

Monofocals are lenses that have a uniform surface set to only one refractive power. This is either for distance vision or close-up vision.

Doctors usually give patients who opt for monofocals one of each power in each eye. This creates monovision and allows patients to see decently at a mid-range distance. The disadvantage is that they may have trouble seeing up close without reading glasses.

But there are several other options available when it comes to IOLs. These are premium options, and they are not usually covered by insurance.

The cost of your surgery is, but the premium lenses are not. That means you’ll pay out of pocket for your intraocular lenses if you choose a premium option.

Many patients find the tradeoff for better vision to be worth the expense. You may, too, especially because there are so many options to choose from.

Types of Premium Lenses

There are many diff IOLs available. Not all practices that offer cataract surgery carry every kind of IOL. These are the most common ones that are widely available:

Multifocal IOLs

These IOLs have rings that extend from the center of the lens.
The rings are set to alternating refractive powers.

Wearing the IOL trains your eyes to look out the right part of the lens depending on what you’re looking at. This allows the patient to see more sharply up-close. Most patients no longer need glasses.

Accommodative IOLs

These IOLs are lenses that change their shape depending on what you look at. When you’re focusing on something up close, the lens thickens to magnify what you’re viewing.

When your eyes are relaxed, the lens thins out again to allow you to see at a distance.

Trifocal IOLs

The trifocal IOL is a lot like a multifocal IOL but it has three refractive powers instead of two. This is for up-close, far away, and in-between distance. This allows patients to see at any distance.

Toric IOLs

This is the only kind of IOL specifically designed for patients with astigmatism. Toric IOLs correct astigmatism as well as other refractive errors.

Assessing Your Needs

With these different options, how do you know what to get? It depends on you. If you’re okay with having to wear reading glasses after cataract surgery, you may be fine with monofocal lenses.

If you spend a lot of time on the computer or looking at screens, a trifocal lens may be best for seeing at a middle distance.

Be sure to discuss with your doctor what your needs are and what options are available to you.

Have questions about cataracts and what kind of IOL you should choose? Schedule a cataract screening at Berg Feinfield Vision Correction in Pasadena, CA!

Clear vision could be yours again when you say goodbye to cataracts!

Will Having Cataracts Hurt?

Paul Stubenbordt on July 28, 2020

Cataracts are an eye condition that many people have to deal with as they get older. There are a variety of eye conditions that older individuals are at risk for.

Cataracts are probably the most common eye condition. The good news is that they present very few symptoms early on and don’t cause any physical discomfort.

But that also means that they can be hard to detect. As they get worse, you may find your eyesight becomes significantly impaired.

That’s one of several reasons why it’s important to have regular eye exams by the time you turn 40. But there are also things you can look out for to tell if you might have cataracts.

What are Cataracts?

Due to aging, the chemicals in our bodies change. It’s not known the exact process that leads to cataracts. But what is known is that chemical changes cause the cells in the eye’s natural lens to become more opaque.

This creates a sort of clouding or a cataract. Cataracts are extremely common. While they’re most frequently associated with aging, they can actually occur at any point in a person’s life.

Rarely, some people are even born with congenital cataracts. Certain factors may also put you at risk for developing cataracts earlier in life.

This includes factors like having diabetes, using tobacco products, and poor diet. While you can’t prevent yourself from developing cataracts, the best way to lower your risk is to lead a healthy lifestyle. But even if you’re healthy, you may develop cataracts, especially if you’re over the age of 40.

Symptoms

While cataracts don’t cause any real physical discomfort, they do have visual symptoms. These symptoms are subtle when your cataracts are first starting to develop.

They become more intense the more advanced they become. These symptoms include:

Blurry vision
Intense glare
Halos around light sources
Decreased ability to see the contrast
Light sensitivity
Difficulty seeing in low light

Often, these symptoms are mistaken for presbyopia or age-related farsightedness. But cataracts don’t actually decrease your ability to see up close.

You may develop a cataract at the same time as having presbyopia. For this reason, reading glasses may appear to reduce symptoms.

But with cataracts, if you have trouble reading, it’s often due to an inability to see fine details without direct lighting. It can be quite difficult to tell if your visual symptoms are a sign of cataracts or presbyopia.

The only way to diagnose them or any eye condition is to have an eye exam with an eye care professional.

Diagnosis and Treatment

Because you’re at increased risk for cataracts once you turn 40, you should have regular eye exams once you’re 40. For most people, this means an eye exam every two years or so.

Your eye doctor may want you to have more regular eye exams if you’re at a higher risk. If you have cataracts, your eye doctor may not recommend treatment right away.

Cataracts develop quite slowly over time. This may mean that treatment may never be necessary, depending on your age and symptoms. Once your cataracts begin affecting your quality of life, most doctors recommend treatment.

The only way to treat cataracts is to have them removed through cataract surgery. Cataract surgery is a very common, low-risk procedure.

In fact, it’s the most commonly performed medical procedure in the US. During surgery, your natural lens is removed and replaced with an artificial lens called an IOL, or intraocular lens.

IOLs can be used to correct other vision problems like presbyopia or astigmatism as well. There are many advantages to having the procedure.

If cataracts are making it difficult to perform daily tasks, talk to your doctor about having cataract surgery.

Tired of living with the daily effects of cataracts? Schedule a cataract screening at Berg Feinfield Vision Correction in Burbank, CA today!

Can Having Dry Eyes Stand In The Way of Cataract Surgery?

Paul Stubenbordt on May 29, 2020

Cataracts are a common eye condition in adults over the age of 40. Cataracts can also severely affect your vision.

They develop slowly but they can eventually make it almost impossible to see. When fully developed, they even cause total blindness.

The good news about cataracts is that their visual constraints don’t have to be permanent. Thanks to cataract surgery, you can regain your vision and have your cataracts removed.

Cataract surgery is also the only effective treatment option for cataracts. Like any surgical procedure, there are risks that come with having cataract surgery.

While cataract surgery is a safe procedure, having pre-existing conditions can make it a little more difficult. This includes if you have conditions like dry eye syndrome.

Keep reading to learn if having dry eyes can stand in your way of having cataract surgery!

Dry Eye and Eye Surgery

Dry eye can be a temporary condition triggered by changes in a person’s environment. But it can also be a chronic condition.

Dry eye syndrome often occurs in those that are older, especially women going through menopause. For those that have dry eye syndrome, any kind of eye surgery carries more risk.

Having enough moisture in the eyes is what helps them heal. Dry eye can make the recovery process after surgery longer and more uncomfortable.

Having dry eyes won’t prevent you from having eye surgery, including cataract surgery. To be as safe as possible, you may have to take some extra precautions.

Pre-Surgery Evaluation

Before you have cataract surgery, your doctor will screen you to make sure surgery will be safe. This evaluation includes testing your tear production.

Your doctor will assess both the quality of your tears, the amount produced, and how well they disperse over the surface of your eye. For most cases of dry eye syndrome, the actual amount of tears produced is normal.

The problem lies in your tears not having enough moisture. Because of this, the tears are more oil and mucus than water.

If your doctor finds you have dry eye syndrome, they will recommend treatments before surgery. These treatments will ease your symptoms and make you more comfortable.

Dry Eye Treatments

Dry eyes can be treated non-invasively. Before recommending anything else, most doctors will probably suggest over-the-counter artificial tears.

They may also suggest a change in diet. Foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids can help your tear production. You can also take fish oil or flaxseed oil supplements.

If you take supplements, know that the body absorbs nutrients better from actual food. You may need to try adding omega-3 fatty acid-rich foods in your diet, like salmon, tuna, chia seeds, and walnuts to get the full benefits.

If these changes don’t ease symptoms, there are minimally-invasive surgical options as well. One common surgery for dry eye is inserting punctal plugs.

These plugs block the eye’s drainage channel. Blocking the drainage channel forces your tears to stay on the surface of the eye longer. This helps keep your eyes more lubricated and makes up for tears that aren’t the highest quality.

Once your dry eye is under control, you can have cataract surgery, knowing your eyes are in better shape. If you still struggle with dry eye after treatment, your doctor may still consider surgery.

This depends on the severity of your cataracts, although there will be an increased risk. For the most part, dry eye is manageable, but every case is different.

Discuss your options about dry eye and cataract surgery with your doctor. This will allow you to make an informed decision.

Think you may need cataract surgery? Schedule a cataract screening at Berg Feinfield Vision Correction in Burbank, CA!