Cataracts Are Treatable Via a Safe Surgical Procedure

Risk factors include:

• Previous eye injuries
• Family history
• Long-term use of corticosteroid medications
• Diabetes (and other medical conditions)
• UVA rays (from sunlight)

Symptoms of developing cataracts include:

• Blurry, hazy, or cloudy vision
• Difficulty differentiating colors, colors that seem faded (especially purples)
• Glare/halo from light sources, especially in low-light settings or at night

There are several types of cataracts, including:

• Subcapsular Cataract – Occurs at the back of the lens. People with diabetes or using steroidal medications are at greater risk to develop these.
• Nuclear Cataract – Forms in the nucleus of the lens. In some cases, a nuclear cataract can cause “second sight”, where your visual acuity is temporarily increased. This effect wears off as the cataract develops.
• Cortical Cataract – Occurs in the lens cortex (the tissue surrounding the central nucleus). Opaque white flecks begin to form around the centre of the lens (similar to the spokes on a wheel).

If your cataracts are beginning to have an impact on your life, such as difficulty reading or differentiating colors, you may be a candidate for surgery.

We will assess the type and development of your cataracts, as well as the overall health of your eye and surrounding tissues. If you are a candidate we will refer you to an Ophthalmologist (who will perform the surgery).

The surgery itself is fairly straightforward. In most cases it’s also relatively painless, with some post-operative discomfort that clears in a couple of weeks.

The Ophthalmologist will remove your cloudy lens and replace it with an intraocular lens (IOL) made of plastic. The IOL mimics the function of the original lens and is quite effective. You do not see or feel the new lens- it performs the same functions as the original.