Cataract Surgery

Cataract surgery at the Southwest Eye Institute in Las Vegas has been proven as a tried and true technique. With over 25 years of experience with the no-needle, no-stitch, no patch ten-minute technique, Dr. Malitz has among the best results in the country. Patients do not even have to be put to sleep but in situations of extreme anxiety, claustrophobia or Parkinson’s or tremors, general anesthesia is always an option. Avoiding needles by the eye reduces the risk of bleeding or complications. Dr. Malitz offers a wide variety of lens implant options for a patient considering cataract surgery. These implants can reduce or even eliminate your need for glasses. We offer a personalized approach with Dr. Malitz helping you choose the option that will best serve your needs and budget. Continue to browse our web site and others and feel free to bring a list of questions for the doctor. An informed patient with realistic expectations is a happy patient. Our Cataract Center at Red Rock Surgery Center is equipped and staffed for your procedure. As you learn about cataracts, cataract symptoms, the surgical process for the removal and the options for vision-correcting lens implants after the cataract has been removed.

What is a cataract?

A cataract is a visually significant clouding of the lens in the eye. The youthful lens is normally clear and transparent. The lens of the eye that can cloud and become a cataract is inside the eye and sits just behind the iris. There are actually two lenses in the eye. The first is the cornea which remains clear throughout life in normal eyes. The second lens, is the lens that changes shape and focuses. As you age, the lens becomes stiff and cloudy with conditions called presbyopia and cataracts. The lens is like the lens in a camera, focusing the images on the retina of the eye. The retina processes images and transfers images to the brain and is interpreted as vision. When the lens is cloudy or opacified, light does not properly transmit through the cataract and a blurred image with halos or glare is the result. Cataracts have many causes and are often related to aging, smoking, steroids or diabetes. Although cataracts are more common in the elderly, a child can even be born with a cataract or a child may experience trauma and develop a cataract. Cataracts are almoster universal at advanced ages and most people will develop cataracts with about 70% of 70 year olds having cataracts and about 90% of 90 year olds.

What are the symptoms of cataracts?

Cataracts generally progress slowly and visually insignificant changes will generally be overlooked. Early changes may not interfere with your functional vision. Over time, cataracts will progress resulting in blurred or fuzzy vision, difficulty reading, and driving at night or in the bright lights due to sensitivity to light and glare. People with advanced cataracts can be totally incapacitated. If left untreated, cataracts can lead to reversible blindness.

Symptoms of Cataracts:

• Decreased vision
• Blurred Vision
• Double or Triple vision through one eye
• Halos or glare around lights
• Distorted colors
• Second sight (seeing up close) with a change in your prescription changes for glasses
• Difficulty reading fine print
• Difficulty with captions on TV
• Trouble seeing road signs

Diagnosing Cataracts

If you have been diagnosed with a cataract or have these symptoms or are concerned you may have a cataract, we would be happy to see you in the office. We are a Covid-19 safe environment with no transmissions being linked to any of our offices. You may ask your Optometrist to refer you to our office or you may book an appointment directly. If you are directed elsewhere, you should ask your doctor if s(he) has a financial interest in referring to this doctor. Our evaluation is comprehensive and you can expect to be in the office for 1-2 hours. We will evaluate your

Visual Acuity

Pupillary, Visual Field and Motility Evaluation

Slit Lamp Exam of your lids, lashes, lacrimal apparatus, conjunctiva, sclera, anterior chamber, iris, pupil, lens and vitreous.

Pressure Evaluation.

Expect a Dilated Eye Exam- Bring a driver if you have trouble driving when your pupils are dilated. This exam is necessary for a complete exam to evaluate for Glaucoma, Macular Degeneration or Diabetic Eye Disease. ine the retina and optic nerve.

Causes of Cataracts:

• Age
• Eye trauma
• Diabetes
• Some medications including long-term use of oral steroids
• Smoking
• Glaucoma

What is cataract surgery like?

Cataract surgery is considered to be one of the most common, safest and most successful procedures performed in medicine today. It is the most common surgery for Americans over the age of 65. Over 3 million procedures are done yearly. Over ninety percent of people 85 years old has cataracts. Almost 50% of people age 65 have a developing cataract. For over 20 years we have been offering no shot, no-stitch, no patch vision correcting cataract procedure. In almost all cases, the patient is awake and alert. No large shots or painful injections are required Today, cataract surgery is a brief outpatient procedure that allows patients to avoid the inconvenience and expense and risk of a hospital stay. In fact, most patients’ vision recovers well enough to see to drive as quickly as one day after surgery.

Is Cataract Surgery Painful?

Although you are awake during cataract surgery, and only eye drops are used to numb the eye, the procedure is generally not painful. You may feel pressure sensation but most patients experience little or no pain. If you are asleep or twilight sedation is used you often will feel nothing at all.

The Surgical Process

Surgical removal of the cataract begins by creating a small minimally invasive microscopic corneal incision often with a saphire blade. Next, a protective gel is introduced to the eye. Then the front of the capsue is removed and a small probe is inserted through the incision and the cataract is broken up and suctioned out with gentle ultrasonic vibrations. This process is known as phacoemulsification or simply “phaco”. Once the damaged lens is removed, a foldable, acrylic artificial lens, called an Intraocular Lens (IOL) is implanted to replace the cataract. Because of the small size of the incision, the opening seals itself naturally and allows for comfortable and rapid healing. While you will probably be in the surgery center for about two hours, the surgery itself lasts only minutes.

Cataract Surgery Lens Options

When a cataract is removed, it is necessary to replace it with an implantable artificial lens. There are many lens options. Dr. Malitz and our surgical counselor can help you understand which choice is best for your particular needs. Currently, most insurances, including Medicare, only cover a monofocal lens. You may also hear it referred to as a “basic” lens. For patients who do not seek visual freedom from glasses after cataract surgery, a monofocal lens is adequate. A monofocal artificial lens can only focus images at one distance out of three (distance, intermediate and near). With this option, you will need glasses for fine tuning to see distance and for intermediate and near. If you are looking for options that will reduce your dependence on glasses, a multifocal or presbyopia-correcting lens may be right for you. We now offer the most advanced trifocal PanOptix implant to reduce or eliminate your need forbifocals, trifocals or reading glasses. Not everyone is a good candidate for multifocal artificial implants, so make sure and ask your doctor about your options. The newest category of IOLs is the extended range of vision lenses. These lenses provide a range of improved vision from near to intermediate and far distances. This lens may also decrease your need for glasses or contacts. Our doctors will discuss which type of artificial implant is right for your eyes as well as your lifestyle needs. If you are a patient that suffers from moderate to high levels of astigmatism, there is still another choice for visual correction via the intraocular lens-a Toric IOL. The Toric IOL is able to neutralize the astigmatism of the eye. With Toric artificial lenses, our patients enjoy a faster, more comfortable recovery and Toric IOLs are the most accurate way to correct unwanted astigmatism. The multifocal, extended range of vision, and Toric lenses, and are not covered by insurance. These lenses are an out of the pocket expense. The cost associated with any of these lens options can be discussed during your preoperative appointment.

Preparing for Surgery

Once the doctor has determined that cataract surgery is necessary or appropriate, you will be scheduled for the procedure and additional tests will be performed to determine the best power lens for your unique eye. You will have measurements taken to assess the necessary power of the new intraocular lens. Our technician will take these measurements often known as an IOL Master and or A-scan. This diagnostic test assesses the length of the eye and curvature of your cornea. You will receive preoperative instructions, including the ordering of prescription eye drops to be administered before and after surgery. Feel free to discuss dropless options as well.

Realistic Expectations

The goal of cataract surgery is to reduce impaired vision, with the added benefit of the possible reduction for the need of glasses. Your doctor cannot guarantee that you will never wear glasses again. You will be given additional information about these procedures to help you make an informed decision. Be sure to have all your questions answered to your satisfaction before proceeding with surgery.

A Whole New Perspective

The day after cataract surgery, most patients find they can resume many everyday activities-watching TV, reading, even some light chores. Then, within a week, you’ll likely be ready to take on a new world of enhanced vision-you can drive, go back to work, and much, much more. After the procedure, colors may seem more vibrant, your vision clearer, more in focus, maybe for the first time in years. Think about how this new outlook will change your life. Restored vision often motivates patients to pick up the tasks and hobbies that their cataracts once prevented them from doing-you might even be inspired to take up some new ones. And why not? Cataract surgery doesn’t just improve your vision-it opens up a whole world of possibilities!