Advances in Cataract Surgery
August is National Cataract Awareness Month. If your vision is getting fuzzy or blurry, you may be one of the 20 million Americans with cataracts. An expert describes this common eye problem and some of the recent advances in cataract surgery . . .
Friday, July 30, 2004
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If you're over 50 and experiencing vision problems, the cause may
be a cataract. Cataracts develop inside the eye, gradually clouding
a lens behind the pupil. The most common cause is aging. Dr. Alan
Carlson, chief of the Corneal and Refractive Surgery Service at the
Duke University Eye Center, describes typical warning signs.
If an eye exam indicates a cataract and
the problem can't be corrected with glasses, a specialist can
surgically remove the cataract and replace it with a tiny
intraocular lens implant that is adjusted to the patient's needs.
Carlson says the procedure takes only a few minutes and patients
usually return to work in a couple of days. 