Restore your crisp and clear eyesight with high-precision laser cataract surgery.
At Focus Eye Care & Surgery, our expert eye doctor in New York uses state-of-the art surgical techniques to bring back your eyes’ function and enhance your quality of life.
Laser cataract surgery
Cataracts can lead to unnecessary blindness. But you don’t have to endure its symptoms that prevent you from performing your daily activities.
Cataract surgery is one of the most commonly performed procedures in the United States, and it has proven to be safe and effective. About 90% of people who underwent cataract surgery significantly improved their vision, according to the National Eye Institute.
Is your vision cloudy or blurry? Are you afraid to go out at night because you can’t see well? Do you see halo around lights, or are some lights just too bright?
Then it may be time for you to get cataract surgery. Talk to our New York eye specialist to get an accurate diagnosis and treatment tailored to your needs.
Cataracts are often caused by natural aging
The eyes’ natural lens are clear, but the proteins in them start to break down at about age 40. The broken down proteins then clump together, clouding the lens. This is a cataract.
Age-related cataracts develop gradually over the years. The impact on your vision may only be mild at first until such time you are no longer able to see clearly.
Other types of cataracts are caused by other factors. Traumatic cataracts are caused by severe injury to the lens of the eye, and may develop quickly or many years later. Ultraviolet rays from sun exposure or exposure to radiation in the treatment of cancer may also cause radiation cataracts. When cataracts run in the family, an infant may be born with the condition or develop them later on.
Cataracts occur in either one or both eyes.
Laser Cataract Surgery in New York
Successful cataract surgeries have been done manually in office settings using handheld instruments. For some people, this traditional approach to removing a cataract remains their option.
At Focus Eye Care & Surgery, Dr. Neelofar Ghaznawi specializes in laser cataract surgery. She provides a thorough eye examination and develops a treatment plan with you to ensure that this procedure is the most suitable treatment tailored to your needs.
Laser cataract surgery uses laser, instead of a handheld blade, to make tiny, precise incisions in the cornea. This is done to remove the top layer of the lens capsule, the sac that holds the lens. To do this, the eye surgeon makes a near-perfect circular opening using laser. This is a vital step in the procedure as the shape of the opening affects how the artificial lens is positioned later, and consequently, how well you see.
With the lens now accessible, the hard cataract is then broken down into tiny fragments using laser energy. This requires much less energy than ultrasound used in conventional surgery.
The result is reduced risk of injury to the surrounding cells and tissues, lower chances of complications, and a better and shorter healing period.
After the cataract is fragmented, it is then suctioned out by a probe in preparation for the insertion of the intraocular lens or IOL. The IOL is implanted in place where the natural lens used to be. The more circular the shape of the sac opening, as what happens with a laser’s precise incision, the fewer overlaps there are between IOL and lens capsule, resulting in clearer eyesight.
FAQs about laser cataract surgery
Using the latest surgical techniques and state-of-the start technology, our New York cataract surgeon is able to perform the procedure in 30 minutes or less.
You will spend around 2-3 hours in an office setting to prepare you for the procedure, and to observe you after the surgery to ensure your safety.
Our laser cataract surgery in New York is performed as an outpatient procedure. Barring complications, you are able to go home the same day. After the surgery, you will notice significant improvement in your vision right away. It is normal for your vision to blur a few days after the operation.
As your eye heals, avoid any strenuous activities like heavy lifting or exercise a few weeks after the procedure.
Our laser cataract surgery in New York is performed as an outpatient procedure. Barring complications, you are able to go home the same day.
After the surgery, you will notice significant improvement in your vision right away. It is normal for your vision to blur a few days after the operation.
As your eye heals, avoid any strenuous activities like heavy lifting or exercise a few weeks after the procedure.
Laser cataract surgery is much safer, more precise, and has fewer complications with a shorter recovery duration in comparison to traditional cataract surgery. Some notable differences between the two are: Laser cataract surgery uses laser beams to make a corneal incision while traditional cataract surgery uses a blade. The opening in front of the lens is made via a laser in laser cataract surgery while this opening is made manually in traditional cataract surgery. The laser breaks down the cataract in laser cataract surgery while traditional cataract surgery employs an ultrasound probe to break down the cataract.
You can still undergo cataract surgery even if you have previously had refractive error corrective laser surgeries, including LASIK, RK, or any other laser eye surgery. But, you can assist your ophthalmologist better by giving them all information on your medical history to help them decide the best intraocular lens power to attain the best possible vision correction.
Cataract surgery takes only 15 to 20 minutes for the actual procedure. You may need a couple of hours of rest after the procedure is completed to wear off the effects of medications. You will be back home on the same day of the procedure but a family member or friend will have to assist you and drive you home.
Cataract surgery is done in the eye clinic or a hospital as an outpatient procedure. It is usually performed in a surgical room designated for outpatient procedures that do not require a hospital stay.
Vision clarity improves significantly a few hours after cataract surgery and progressively gets better, but it may take a week for you to completely adjust after the surgery. Complete wound healing after laser cataract surgery may take 2 to 4 months.
Any strenuous physical activity such as running, jogging, lifting heavy objects, cycling, or other sports activities that can increase eye pressure and impact healing should be avoided for at least a week after the procedure. You may start light exercises in the second week after cataract surgery.
While multifocal lens has a major advantage of correcting vision for all near, intermediate, and far distances over monofocal lens, it is still not considered as being better than monofocal lens as it can result in issues such as halos, glares, and vision problems in low light. Monofocal lenses correct vision at only one distance and require reading glasses, but result in minimal glare and halos. Furthermore, multifocal lenses are only partially covered by insurance while insurance covers monofocal lenses. There are many more factors in play regarding the suitability of the candidate for multifocal lenses, but generally, people who prefer independence from glasses find multifocal lenses to be better.
Yes, the results of laser cataract surgery are permanent in a majority of patients. But, in a minority of patients, complications may occur which may require further treatment. Trauma to the eye may cause intraocular lens displacement, which may also require corrective surgery.
While side effects are not common after laser cataract surgery, you may still experience a few side effects such as the following: Dry eye is a possible side effect that can occur after cataract surgery. However, it can be easily managed with artificial tears or other prescription eye drops. In most cases, dry eye symptoms resolve on their own with time. Floaters appear as specks of dustings in your vision. Floaters are common in normal eyes as well but may be more easily noticeable after cataract surgery due to sudden improvement in eyesight. Redness and swelling may be present up to two weeks after cataract surgery in a few cases. This usually resolves on its own, but steroid eye drops may be prescribed to accelerate the resolution of inflammation. Sensitivity to light may be higher for a few days after surgery but subsides with time.
Immediately after the surgery, your vision may improve, but it may take a few days before your eyes have completely adjusted, so you must avoid driving until your next follow-up. Once your ophthalmologist confirms that you have recovered well, you can resume driving.
After your cataract has been removed and replaced with an intraocular lens, the depth of the anterior chamber may increase. This can make your pupils narrower and more circular, which may make your eyes look slightly different upon closer investigation.
Yes, cataract surgery can completely restore vision, but your ability to focus on near or far objects depends upon the type of intraocular lens used. Monofocal IOL requires patients to still use reading glasses to focus on nearby objects and read.
Yes, Medicare covers 80% of costs involved in cataract surgery including postoperative care, regardless of whether laser or traditional techniques were used.