What are cataracts, and how are they diagnosed?

A cataract occurs when protein clouds the eye’s natural lens. When these proteins cover the lens, it becomes harder and harder to see clearly.

One of the most common symptoms of cataracts is foggy or distorted vision. It may feel like you’re looking through a fogged-up window, and you may notice it becomes increasingly difficult to see while you read or drive a car, especially at night. The cataract minimizes the amount of light that can reach the retina of your eye. If cataracts remain untreated, your vision loss will worsen and can ultimately result in blindness.

Our experienced surgeons can remove your cataracts and replace them with fully-functional, modern intraocular lenses. You may experience several symptoms from cataracts, which can include:

It is important to have an experienced eye doctor examine your eyes to determine if you have cataracts and discuss your best treatment options.

You may be more likely to develop cataracts if you have any of the following risk factors, including:

If these risk factors sound familiar, you may develop cataracts at an earlier age. Developing cataracts is often an inevitable part of the aging process, but by leading a healthy lifestyle, you may be able to delay their development.

take our cataract self-test

What You need to know about cataract surgery

It is crucial to have an experienced eye doctor examine your eyes to determine if you have cataracts. If you do have cataracts, your ophthalmologist will determine how severe your cataract is and if you need to have cataract surgery.

A cataract occurs when protein clouds your eye’s natural lens, causing your vision to become blurry. It may feel like you are looking through a cloudy or dirty window. Cataracts occur as part of the normal aging process. As they progress, they can interfere with many of your daily activities, including reading, watching television, or even doing everyday chores like laundry. Our experienced cataract surgeons can accurately diagnose and treat patients with cataracts, restoring their vision by removing the clouded natural lens and replacing it with an advanced technology lens implant. These kinds of lens implants are the most modern and state-of-the-art available. If you want the best when it comes to phones, tablets, and even your cars, why wouldn’t you choose the same for a lens implant?

Cataracts will not go away on their own but may be managed initially with stronger lighting and eyeglasses. Most people with cataracts will eventually need to have cataract surgery to restore their clear vision. It is essential to have a professional cataract evaluation to help you decide if surgery is right for you. Our experienced physicians will explain the process of cataract removal and the insertion of a lens implant.

We offer several choices of state-of-the-art implants that can restore your near, far, and intermediate distance vision. The good news is that cataract surgery is common, safe, and effective, and you can have it performed at your doctor’s office. After the procedure, you’ll finally have the crisp, clear, and beautiful vision you’ve always wanted, and most importantly, it’s yours for the rest of your life. These modern lens implants never age, no matter what.

schedule Consultation Frequently asked questions

Vision Simulator

Before Cataract Surgery

A cataract is the clouding of the eye’s natural lens. Symptoms of a cataract may include blurry or hazy vision, faded colors, difficulty seeing at night or sensitivity to light.

After Cataract Surgery

  • Monofocal IOL: With Traditional cataract surgery, you will receive a basic monofocal lens that will improve distance vision, but you still may need prescription glasses full time for best vision.
  • Astigmatism-Correcting Lens: If you have astigmatism and choose cataract surgery with an astigmatism-correcting toric lens, you will eliminate both cataracts and astigmatism.  This will enable you to see good distance vision without glasses.  You will still require corrective lenses for near vision.

Lifestyle Lens Options

Lifestyle lenses are intended to provide the best full range of vision after your cataract surgery.  There are several different types, they can be Trifocal, Multifocal, Accommodative, or Extended Depth of Focus.  Your doctor will recommend which lens will work best for your specific lifestyle needs and outcome desires.

Cataract Surgery Lens Options

Cataract patients have many advanced technology intraocular lenses to choose from. A traditional monofocal lens will correct either distance or near vision, but you will still need to wear glasses for the distances not corrected.

Advanced technology lenses can provide clear vision for both near and distance vision. Some patients may not need glasses or contact lenses after receiving advanced technology lens implants.

In today’s modern world, people stay up to date with technology for their phones, their computers, state-of-the-art cameras, and so much more. Why wouldn’t you want to do the same when it comes to your eyesight and seeing clearly?

Wearing glasses after cataract surgery means that you are holding yourself back, but when you choose advanced technology lens implants, you can see the world without boundaries and the way that it was always meant to be seen. As technology only continues to evolve, it makes sense to evolve along with it, meaning choosing an IOL with the technology that will change your life for the better.

Here are some options available to our patients who need to have cataract surgery. Be sure and schedule an appointment with our approved providers to see which lens is right for you:

Monofocal Lens

The monofocal lens is the basic lens used to replace our cloudy lens. This lens will provide improvement to visual symptoms caused by the cataract and will likely improve distance vision. However, it will still be necessary to wear corrective lenses for intermediate and near vision and depending on your prescription before surgery, prescription bifocals may still be required 100% of the time.

Astigmatism-Correcting Lens

Patients with astigmatism having cataract surgery may choose a toric lens. A toric lens will eliminate cataracts as well as astigmatism. The toric astigmatism correcting lens will allow a patient to achieve visual freedom at distance without glasses. You will still need corrective lenses, often non-prescription, for up close vision.

EDOF – Extended Depth of Focus Lens

The extended depth of focus lenses can provide a full range of vision by stretching, but not splitting light. This allows patients to receive sharp distance and intermediate vision while also providing functional reading vision. This advanced lens may be a better choice for patients who are wanting to achieve spectacle independence but may not qualify for a trifocal or multifocal lens.

Trifocal Lens / Multifocal Lens

Multifocal and Trifocal lenses are advanced technology lenses created with the goal of providing the least dependency on glasses after surgery. A multifocal lens splits light into two focal points to improve distance and near. A trifocal lens can split light into three focal points, distance, intermediate, and near. Your doctor will determine which type of lens will work best for you based on your lifestyle and your post-operative visual desires.

learn more about advanced technology lenses

Types of Cataract Surgery

Our patients have the choice between traditional cataract surgery – where the surgeon uses a scalpel to make a small incision to remove the cataract – or laser cataract surgery – where the surgeon uses a femtosecond laser to perform the procedure.

Traditional Cataract Surgery

In traditional cataract surgery, once the surgeon creates the small incision in your cornea, they will use a probe to create sound waves, known as ultrasound, to break up the cloudy lens. Your surgeon then suctions out the broken pieces of the lens and replaces them with the new intraocular lens. During this procedure, the incision is closed with a liquid seal, and stitches are usually not needed.

Laser Cataract Surgery

In laser cataract surgery, a device is placed over your eye to map its surface and gather information about your lens. That information is sent to the computer that programs the laser. The information includes the location and size of your lens and the depth of incisions.

Then, the surgeon uses the laser to make the corneal incision. An ultrasound probe breaks the cloudy lens into pieces which it suctions out. After suctioning out the pieces of the natural lens, the intraocular lens takes its place and gets inserted. Laser cataract surgery also usually does not require stitches.

If you want to undergo a procedure that’s making the most of modern technology, look no further than laser cataract surgery. Technology is ever changing and evolving, and laser cataract surgery uses both computer imaging and the best surgeons to ensure patients get the best results possible.

Laser cataract surgery is not typically covered by insurance. Talk to your ophthalmologist about which form of cataract surgery is best for you.

Please contact our selected eye care practices to find out about cataract surgery financing plans available to you.

Do you think you may have cataracts?

Find out once and for all by scheduling your cataract screening today. Evolve how you see by choosing an advanced technology lens during cataract surgery!

take our cataract self-test

Advanced Cataract Surgery Doctors

Ways to pay Request an Appointment Our locations 954.925.2740

Our locations

300 South Park Road Suite 300 
Hollywood, FL 33021
(954) 925-2740

603 N. Flamingo Road Suite 250
Pembroke Pines, Florida 33028
(954)431-2777

2300 N. Commerce Parkway Suite #307
Weston, Florida 33326
(954) 217-3155
Hours
Monday - Friday: 8AM–5PM
Sat & Sun: Closed

7593 W. Boynton Beach Blvd. Suite 280
Boynton Beach, FL 33426
(954)925-2740