Your vision is important, and if it is being clouded by cataracts, then choosing the best type of cataract surgery for you is a decision to not take lightly. While there used to be one basic type of cataract removal surgery available, you now have several options that cannot only ensure the best possible surgery outcome, but also make your vision even better after surgery than it was before you even developed cataracts. Read on to find out about these newer options and why they are so groundbreaking. 

1. Laser Cataract Removal with 3D Imaging

To understand why laser cataract surgery with 3D imaging is such a great new option, you must first understand what basic cataract surgery without lasers or advanced imaging involves. With basic cataract removal surgery, your doctor simply begins making incisions in your eye based on what he or sees at the time and calculates where to make the next incision (since there are several involved when removing a cumbersome cataract) on the spot. This is continued until the surgery is over and the cataract is removed and replaced with an artificial eye lens. 

Now, you can compare the basic cataract surgery procedure with laser cataract removal which is performed differently. First, your eyes are scanned with a 3D imaging camera, and your doctor uses the 3D image of your eyes to calculate all of the incisions he or she will make during the cataract removal process before surgery even begins. This advanced planning lets your doctor take his or her time when making difficult decisions instead of having hurriedly make all of them in the middle of your procedure.

Also, instead of using a scalpel to make incisions, a precise laser beam is used. This means that every incision made is extremely thin, which can lead to faster healing and a decreased likelihood of surgery complications. 

While basic cataract surgery can have a good outcome when performed by a skilled and experienced surgeon, laser cataract surgery with 3D imaging is virtually error-proof and easier for any doctor to perform. 

2. Advanced Vision Correction During Your Surgery

Along with laser cataract removal, your surgeon can also perform refractive cataract surgery during the same procedure. Since cataracts are caused by excess protein deposits on the natural lens of your eye that, at this time, cannot be removed on their own, the entire eye lens is removed during surgery and replaced with a synthetic lens called an IOL, or intraocular lens. Typically, the replacement is called a single-focus IOL, which functions as an eye lens well, but it does not correct vision problems you may have had before you had cataracts, such as nearsightedness or farsightedness. 

Instead of this typical replacement lens, you can now opt for a premium IOL that is custom-made for you, such as a multi-focus IOL. This lens can correct any vision problems you had been experiencing before you developed cataracts, so you can leave the surgery with not only your cataracts removed, but also perfect vision that allows you to stop wearing the eyeglasses or contact lenses you once had to wear. 

If you need cataract removal surgery, then be sure to take advantage of the advanced surgical options that cannot only ensure your procedure is as successful as possible, but also leave you with better vision after your procedure than you ever had in your life if you once wore contacts or eyeglasses. For more information, contact a company like Northwest Ophthalmology.

 

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