Cataract Surgery Procedure

Cataract surgery in Iran is one of the most common eye surgeries performed in different countries. Cataract surgery is also one of the eye surgeries with a high success rate in restoring the patient’s vision. Although cataract is a major cause of blindness, they can be treated with relatively simple outpatient surgery to restore vision. Keep reading on The Amitis Health Tourism Company to learn more about cataract surgery procedures and pre and post-operative instructions.

Cataract Surgery Pre-Operative Preparation

Your ophthalmologist may advise you not to eat specific foods for 12 hours before cataract surgery. Your ophthalmologist may also advise you to temporarily stop taking a medication that may increase the risk of bleeding during cataract surgery. If you take any medications to treat prostate diseases and problems, inform your ophthalmologist about your medications.

Because some medications used to treat certain diseases (such as prostate-related diseases) can disrupt cataract surgery. An ophthalmologist may prescribe eye drops a day or two before cataract surgery.

Cataract Surgery Pre-Operative Instructions

About a week (or so) before cataract surgery, the ophthalmologist performs a painless ultrasound to measure the size and shape of the patient’s eye. This helps determine the type of suitable implant lenses (IOL intraocular lenses) for the patient’s eye. Intraocular lenses are used for almost all people who have cataract surgery. These lenses improve the patient’s vision by focusing light behind the eye. The patient cannot see or feel these lenses.

Intraocular lenses do not require care and become a permanent part of the patient’s eye. Different types of intraocular lenses are available with different features. Before having cataract surgery, you and your ophthalmologist can make an overall decision about which type of intraocular lens may be best for you and your lifestyle.

Assessing the cost of cataract surgery is also one of the critical factors in performing this surgery. Because insurance companies may not pay for intraocular lenses, you should be aware of the cost of cataract surgery before proceeding. This way, you can find out if you have enough budget for cataract surgery.

Intraocular lenses are made of plastic, acrylic, or silicone. Some intraocular lenses prevent UV rays from entering the eye. Also, some ophthalmic lenses, made of rigid plastic, are implanted through a relatively deep and large incision in the patient’s eye. To close this incision, multiple stitches will be required.

However, many other intraocular lenses are flexible. To implant these lenses into the patient’s eye, there is no need to make a large incision in the patient’s eye, and the ophthalmologist can insert intraocular lenses into the patient’s eye by making a smaller incision (which requires fewer stitches).

The eye surgeon first folds these lenses and then places them in the desired location (the part of the eye that has been the site of the eye’s natural lens in the past). When these types of intraocular lenses are placed inside the patient’s eye, they are first opened from where they have been folded and then placed where the lens of the patient’s eye has been removed.

Intraocular lenses have different types, and each type of intraocular lens has its features. In continuing this scientific article from The Amitis Health Tourism Company, we will introduce the types of intraocular lenses available.

Types of Intraocular Lenses

Some of the types of intraocular lenses available are:

• Fixed-focus mono-focal. This type of lens has a single focus strength for distance vision. Reading will generally require the use of reading glasses.
• Accommodating-focus mono-focal. Although these lenses only have a single focusing strength, they can respond to eye muscle movements and shift focus to near or distant objects.
• Multifocal. These lenses are similar to glasses with bifocal or progressive lenses. Different lens areas have different focusing strengths, allowing for near, medium, and far vision.
• Astigmatism correction (toric). If you have significant astigmatism, a toric lens can help correct your vision.

Discuss the benefits and risks of the different types of IOLs with your eye surgeon to determine what’s best for you.

During the procedure

Cataract surgery, usually an outpatient procedure, takes an hour or less to perform. First, your doctor will place eyedrops in your eye to dilate your pupil. You’ll receive local anesthetics to numb the area, and you may be given a sedative to help you relax. You may remain awake but groggy during surgery if you’re given a sedative. The clouded lens is removed during cataract surgery, and a clear artificial lens is usually implanted. However, a cataract may be removed in some cases without implanting an artificial lens.

Types of Surgical Methods Used to Remove Cataracts

Surgical methods used to remove cataracts include:

Using an ultrasound probe to break up the lens for removal.

During a phacoemulsification procedure (fak-o-e-mul-sih-fish-KAY-shun), your surgeon makes a tiny incision in the front of your eye (cornea) and inserts a needle-thin probe into the lens substance where the cataract has formed.

Your surgeon then uses the probe, which transmits ultrasound waves, to break up (emulsify) the cataract and suction out the fragments. The very back of your lens (the lens capsule) is left intact to serve as a place for the artificial lens to rest. Stitches may be used to close the tiny incision in your cornea after the procedure.

They are making an incision in the eye and removing the lens in one piece.

A less frequently used procedure called extracapsular cataract extraction requires a larger incision than that used for phacoemulsification. Through this larger incision, your surgeon uses surgical tools to remove the front capsule of the lens and the cloudy lens comprising the cataract. The very back capsule of your lens is left in place to serve as a place for the artificial lens to rest.

This procedure may be performed if you have certain eye complications. With the larger incision, stitches are required.

Once either phacoemulsification or extracapsular extraction has removed the cataract, the artificial lens is implanted into the empty lens capsule.

Cataract Surgery Post-Operative Instructions

After cataract surgery, expect your vision to begin improving within a few days. Your vision may be blurry at first as your eye heals and adjusts. Colors may seem brighter after your surgery because you look through a new, clear lens. A cataract is usually yellow- or brown-tinted before surgery, muting the look of colors. You’ll usually see your eye doctor a day or two after your surgery, the following week, and then after about a month to monitor healing.

It’s normal to feel itching and mild discomfort for a couple of days after surgery. Avoid rubbing or pushing on your eye. Your doctor may ask you to wear an eye patch or protective shield during surgery. Your doctor may also recommend wearing the eye patch for a few days after your surgery and the protective shield when you sleep during the recovery period.

Your doctor may prescribe eye drops or other medication to prevent infection, reduce inflammation, and control eye pressure. Sometimes, these medications can be injected into the eye during the surgery. After a couple of days, most of the discomfort should disappear. Often, complete healing occurs within eight weeks.

Contact your doctor immediately if you experience vision loss, pain that persists despite over-the-counter pain medications, increased eye redness, eyelid swelling, light flashes, or multiple new spots (floaters) in front of your eye. Most people need glasses, at least sometimes, after cataract surgery.

Your doctor will let you know when your eyes have healed enough for you to get a final prescription for eyeglasses. This is usually between one and three months after surgery. If you have cataracts in both eyes, your doctor usually schedules the second surgery after the first eye has healed.

Is cataract surgery joint in Iran?

Iran is one of the most advanced countries providing medical services to international patients. By equipping its hospitals and having experienced and skilled eye surgeons, Iran has become an ideal destination for various eye surgeries, including cataract surgery. Iran is one of the best countries for various surgeries in terms of economic efficiency. You can pay less for cataract surgery by traveling to Iran and having cataract surgery in that country.

Also, with skilled and experienced surgeons and up-to-date and advanced facilities in Iran, you can safely choose Iran as a destination for cataract surgery. In this article from The Amitis Health Tourism Company, the stages of cataract surgery and the necessary measures for before and after cataract surgery were mentioned. You can consult a specialist ophthalmologist for tips and advice before and after cataract surgery.