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Cataracts and Cataract Surgery Specialists in Honolulu, Hawaii

Cataracts are a very common eye problem among people over the age of 65 – nearly everyone in this age bracket develops some degree of cataract formation in one or both eyes. It's simply part of the normal aging process. Before the advent of modern eye surgery techniques, which provide safe and effective treatment, most people with cataracts lost part of all of their vision. Today, constant advances in technology have enabled millions of people to have their cataracts treated with a painless, quick procedure. For state-of-the-art cataract surgery, contact the Honolulu, Hawaii offices of Aloha Laser Vision.

• What Are Cataracts, Anyway?
• What Can Be Done for My Cataracts?
• What Is Cataract Treatment Like?
  • Preparing for Cataract Surgery
  • The Cataract Surgery Process
• What Types of IOLs Do You Offer?
  • ReZoom™ Multifocal Lens
  • AcrySof® ReSTOR® Lens
  • Crystalens®
• Which Advanced Technology IOL Is Right For Me?
• What About Complications from Cataract Surgery?

What Are Cataracts, Anyway?

A cataract is a clouding up of the clear lens of the eye or the surrounding membrane. The cloudiness keeps light from entering the eye properly, reducing vision. The symptoms of a cataract can be:

• Blurred vision
• Cloudy spots in the field of vision
• Halos around lights
• Glare
• Seeing colors that seem faded
• Temporary vision improvement

It's not yet understood what exactly causes cataracts. Scientists do know that other risk factors for cataracts are diabetes, steroid intake, smoking, and exposure to the sun's UV rays (particularly in places near the equator, such as Hawaii).

A cataract can be classified by its location in the eye, or by its size and shape, or by the point in time when it developed. Dr. Alan Faulkner can tell you more about the particular details of your cataracts.

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What Can Be Done For My Cataracts?

Intraocular lens implants (IOLs) were a significant advance in cataract treatment: an eye's cataractous lens is removed and a prescription IOL is put in its place. Great improvements have been made to IOL technology over the decades since its inception. The early IOLs were monofocal – that is, they provided good distance vision, but reading glasses or bifocals were still needed for seeing up close and sometimes at intermediate range.

Nowadays, IOLs that are multifocal and accommodative decrease a cataract patient's post-surgery dependence on reading glasses and bifocals by providing a fuller range of vision. Three advanced technology IOLs – the ReZoom™ multifocal IOL, the AcrySof® ReSTOR® IOL, and Crystalens® – are examples of the state-of-the-art IOLs available at Aloha Laser Vision. These IOLs enable patients to see near, far, and in-between without extra visual aid. With them, your vision may actually be restored to what it was like when you were younger.

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What Is Cataract Treatment Like?

Cataract treatment at our Honolulu, Hawaii offices is designed to maximize your comfort and safety. A comprehensive eye exam is the first step. All parameters of your vision are measured, with and without the corrective lenses you've been using. You will undergo a review of your health history, including information about your current medications, previous eye treatments and prescriptions, and any evidence of allergies.

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Preparing for Cataract Surgery

As part of the exam, your eyes will be dilated to help detect any sign of disease. Dr. Faulkner will determine whether cataract surgery with an IOL is appropriate for you. If cataract surgery will be performed, sonar measurements of your eye will be taken, and tests will be conducted to determine the power of the IOL needed. Once the measurements and results of the exam are available, Dr. Faulkner will discuss your treatment options with you, as well as any possible complications involved. All of your questions will be addressed with patience and expertise.

Finally, one of our experienced staff technicians will go over your pre-operative and post-operative care and instructions with you. If one of the advanced technology lenses is your treatment plan, our refractive surgery counselor will discuss the pricing and payment options with you.

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The Cataract Surgery Process

The cataract surgery itself takes only about 10 minutes; it's a "same-day surgery." First, for almost all of our patients, the eye is anesthetized with anesthetic drops or gel (it's extremely rare for an anesthetic shot to be appropriate). Two very small incisions must be made to position some precision instruments. The cloudy cataract lens is then broken down into tiny fragments by ultrasonic waves (not a laser!) delivered by a small probe. The fragments of the old lens are removed through a tiny, self-sealing incision, and a new IOL is implanted. Some eye drops to prevent infection and reduce inflammation are then put in the eye, completing the procedure. Patients can return to their normal activities within 24 hours.

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What Types of IOLs Do You Offer?

The advanced technology IOLs are an important part of the Aloha Laser Vision cataract surgery services in Honolulu. You can find out which is most appropriate for your unique vision needs when you contact Aloha Laser Vision in Honolulu, Hawaii.

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ReZoom™ Multifocal Lens

The ReZoom™ multifocal lens has five different "zones," each designed for different light conditions and focal points. For example, some of the zones provide greater low-light, distance vision (helping you drive at night, for instance). With the new, patented zone design, called Balanced View Optics™ Technology, the ReZoom™ multifocal lens provides good vision in a range of light conditions. Several studies have found that 92 percent of the patients who received this ReZoom™ IOL "never" or "only occasionally" need reading glasses.

After a ReZoom™ lens is implanted, your vision is immediately improved, and it continues to sharpen over the week following the surgery. There's a six to 12-week adjustment period as your brain learns to use the new lens. As with all multifocal IOLs, some patients report seeing glare around lights. This usually goes away with time, but for some people it never goes away completely.

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AcrySof® ReSTOR® Lens

The ReSTOR® lens provides significantly better vision at all distances by distributing the light coming into the eye as a response to how small or wide the pupil of the eye is at that moment. The ReSTOR® lens doesn't work with the muscles in the eye (as do some other IOLs), so it doesn't depend on the movement of the lens to give clear vision. Part of the ReSTOR® lens provides good near vision by using a set of graduated rings in the center of the lens. The other part of the lens provides the good distance vision.

In clinical studies, 80 percent of patients who received the AcrySof® ReSTOR® lens reported never wearing glasses for any activities. In fact, nearly 94 percent said they would have the AcrySof® ReSTOR® lens implanted again if they needed it. With the ReSTOR® IOL, you too can drive, work on a computer, or read a book with little or no need for glasses.

After receiving a ReSTOR® lens, your distance vision will most likely be very good within a day or two after surgery, and your near vision will improve within another few days or a week. Because the AcrySof® ReSTOR is a multifocal lens, you may see halos or glare, but this phenomenon is rare and usually fades with time. In addition, your intermediate vision may not be as clear as your near and distance vision.

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crystalens®

Your eye's natural lens is flexible. This flexibility enables it to accommodate the eye for seeing objects nearby (closer than 24 inches away) and at intermediate distances (24 to30 inches away) and far distances. The Crystalens® is a flexible IOL. It's the only IOL that uses the natural focusing ability of the eye. The Crystalens® is engineered with a hinge to allow the part of the lens that you see through to move back and forth as you change focus on images around you.

In clinical tests:

• 100 percent of the patients implanted with a Crystalens® in both eyes could clearly see, without glasses, objects at intermediate distances (the distance for most of life's daily activities)
• 98.4 percent were able to pass a driver's license test without glasses
• 98.4 percent saw well enough to read the phonebook or newspaper unaided
• Some patients needed glasses for some activities

After a Crystalens® implant, your distance vision will most likely be very good within a day or two. Intermediate vision will improve next, and your near vision will improve gradually as your eye muscles get stronger and learn to focus your Crystalens®.

Drops are applied after Crystalens® surgery to promote proper alignment of the new lens and to prevent the eye muscles from moving the lens. Reading glasses may be needed during the first week or two after surgery, until the effects of these drops go away. You'll find your near and intermediate vision beginning to improve. At that time, you can stop using glasses for near vision, to promote strengthening of the eye muscle.

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Which Advanced Technology IOL Is Right For Me?

Much depends on you – your eyes, your needs, your work, your hobbies – in short, your particular circumstances. The ReZoom™, ReSTOR®, and Crystalens® advanced technology lens implants are available to cataract patients at Aloha Laser Vision in Hawaii because of the quality of vision they each provide. Dr. Faulkner will recommend the IOL that best fits your needs, following your comprehensive examination. It's also important for you to know that an IOL can't correct pre-existing vision problems such as a visual field that is already lost, floaters, or flashers. It is also important to note that although almost everyone experiences improved vision after cataract treatment, the post-surgery uncorrected vision of some patients will be better than that of others.

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What About Complications From Cataract Surgery?

The advanced technology IOLs are used with the same safe, proven cataract surgery performed on more than seven million eyes each year. Current studies indicate that 98 percent of people who undergo cataract surgery have no complications. Significant complications are extremely rare. Most of the complications seen are minor infections, irritation, and inflammation—all easily treated.

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Contact Aloha Laser Vision

Though cataracts can severely impair your vision, Dr Alan Faulkner offers a number of options for cataract removal and lens replacement. He can help determine which treatment is most effective for you. For more information about cataracts and cataract surgery, contact Aloha Laser Vision in Honolulu, Hawaii.

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