Cataract surgery and implants

Surgery is the only possible treatment up to now. It consists in removing the clouded lens and replacing it with a permanent lens called intraocular lens (IOL).

We consider surgery when the loss of vision is significant enough to bother the patient during his daily activities. With the new technologies, it is not necessary to wait for the cataract to be "mature" to remove it.

First, you must have a detailed eye exam (Evaluvision) in order to evaluate whether the surgery is relevant or not. If you decide to have the surgery following our recommendation additional exams might be necessary depending on your health condition (ECG). The surgery is then scheduled in one to four weeks.

Since 2000 (first in Canada) the clinic is equipped with a IOL Master (Zeiss). This instrument calculates the implant with precision in order to minimize the strength of the glasses after the operation. A topography of the cornea will also be performed and a preoperative correction of the astigmatism is included in the total amount of the surgery.

In cases where other illnesses could harm your vision, the expected results will be explained to help you make your decision and to answer your expectations. An operative consent form will be given to you so you understand the risks related to the surgery. The date of the surgery is planned the same day of the preoperative exam. The treatment does not last long (about 15 to 25 minutes) but you must plan to be at the clinic for about two hours.

The latest surgical technique is called phacoemulsification. It consists in making a small incision at the junction of the sclera (white part of the eye) and the cornea (clear anterior part). The lens is then fragmented and sucked piece by piece through an ultrasonic probe, leaving only the capsule (the outer covering of the lens).

The IOL is then inserted in the capsule. There are different types of IOL : some are soft and foldable (silicone or acrylic); others are harder (PMMA) and require a longer incision. Here at the clinic, we only use soft lenses, among which we find the Acrysof Natural lens. This lens reduces the potential damage done by the blue light on the retina which constitute a risk for macular degeneration.

The surgery is usually done under topical (with drops) anesthesia. We operate one eye at a time and wait two weeks between each surgery. As you are sleepy after surgery, you should go back home immediately and rest the remaining of the day. A three-week convalescence is recommended.

The cataract surgery comes with a six-month service plan which covers, during this period, all the postoperative follow-ups, YAG capsulotomy, if needed, as well as the antibiotic drops. If both eyes were operated on the same, the follow period is extended to one year.

The next day your vision will be better but not perfect. You might have difficulty to read. You will have to put antibiotic drops for one month. After one week your vision should have improved noticeably.

After one month your vision should be more stable and more comfortable. In most cases, the application of eye drops is finished. We will give you the prescription for your reading glasses and for the residual correction of the distance vision, offered also in partnership with you eye care professional.

After six months we will verify the stability of your vision and evaluate if it is satisfactory.