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Macro of the eye of a young woman with and without cataracts. Simulation of before and aft

Cataract facts

Cataract is a common eye condition that affects the clarity of the lens and causes blurry vision. The following are explanations of the 12 thesis' regarding human eye cataract:

12 facts about the human eye cataract

  1. The causes of cataracts are not yet known: Although several factors, including aging, genetics, and environmental factors, can contribute to the development of cataracts, the exact cause remains unknown.

  2. Surgery is the only treatment for cataracts: Currently, the most effective treatment for cataracts is surgery, which involves removing the cloudy lens and replacing it with an artificial lens using phaco or femto methods.

  3. No treatment is bad: Leaving cataracts untreated can lead to a significant reduction in vision, which can affect the quality of life.

  4. Treatment is safe, and vision depends on the lens: Cataract surgery is considered a safe and common procedure, but the quality of vision after surgery depends on the type of lens implanted.

  5. Choosing a lens is a joint work of the patient and the doctor: The selection of the artificial lens is a collaborative process between the patient and the doctor, taking into account the patient's medical history, preferences, and lifestyle. There are different types of lenses available, such as monofocal, multifocal, and toric lenses.

  6. The difference between a native lens and an artificial lens: A natural lens is flexible, while an artificial lens is a rigid plastic or silicone lens that does not move or focus like a natural lens.

  7. Patients who receive monofocal lenses may still require glasses to correct any residual near or distance vision problems. Thus is you will have standard monofocal IOL you will need a glasses after monofocal lens surgery, however nowadays we do have a new advanced monofocal lenses line Tecnis Eyhance or similar. 

  8. To go without glasses, you need a lens with presbyopia correction: A presbyopia-correcting lens is necessary for patients who desire to be independent of glasses for near and distance vision.

  9. There are medical contraindications by lens type: Some patients may have medical conditions that make them unsuitable candidates for certain types of lenses, such as those with corneal abnormalities or weak ligament apparatus.

  10. Any lens restores vision, but the accuracy of the lens calculation is crucial: While any lens can restore vision, the degree of restoration depends on the condition of the eye and the accuracy of the lens calculation. A miscalculated lens can lead to the need for glasses.

  11. After surgery, a ternary cataract can occur, treated once with a laser: After cataract surgery, some patients may develop posterior capsule opacification, also known as a ternary cataract, which can be treated with a laser.

  12. Quality of vision depends on the type of lens and accurate calculation: The quality of vision depends on the type of lens used and the accuracy of the lens calculation. Other factors, such as shortsightedness or poor distance vision, should not be blamed on the lens, but rather look for underlying issues. A correctly selected and accurately calculated lens, coupled with a complication-free surgery, leads to normal vision.

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Proper IOL type selection is a key to optimal visual results

In order to find the best IOL type for your particular case, your doctor have to analyse your medical records, and discuss your lifectyle, behaviour and visual needs. However, majority of patients are not aware about the limitation of modern IOL technologies, plus there is difficult to really understand the visual needs of yourself. 

Therefore, it is suggested to try IOL-questionaire to analyse the combination of your particular lifestyle and IOLs technology to find the best match, which you then have to discuss with your surgeon. 

Try IOL-questionaire here

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