Cataract

What is Cataract?

The loss of transparency of the intraocular lens behind the pupil is called cataract. Cataract develops as a natural consequence of aging, but rarely it can also develop congenitally, due to traumas and medications used. Cataract development can also be seen at a young age in systemic diseases such as diabetes.

What are the symptoms of cataract?

Patients' complaints may vary according to the type of cataract. The most important symptom is decreased vision. It is especially noticeable when the other eye is closed. Discomfort from light at night, difficulty in reading, decreased vision sometimes in the dark and sometimes in sunlight. In some cataracts, distance vision deteriorates due to pseudo-myopia and near vision improves. Later, near vision deteriorates. Fading and yellowing of colours is another symptom.

How is cataract treated?

The permanent method for the treatment of cataract is surgical operation. There is no medication treatment.

Once cataract starts to develop, there is no medical treatment to reverse this process. For this reason, what should be done after the complaints start to occur is to remove the lens that has lost its transparency and replace it with an artificial lens.

• Toric Lenses
• Multifocal Lenses
• EDOF Lenses

1. Toric lenses: Astigmatism is a refractive error caused by the eye structure that impairs both distance and near vision.

Studies have shown that half of the patients in the cataract age group have astigmatism that needs to be corrected.

This defect, which cannot be corrected by standard lenses, can be permanently corrected with toric lenses and the need for distance glasses after the operation is eliminated.

2.Multifocal Lenses: (SMART LENS)
They are lenses that show both near and far.

Until a certain age, our natural lens has the feature of accommodating, that is, changing its refractor according to the distance.

At the age of 40-45, this feature gradually begins to decline and we have to use glasses for near vision.

This condition, which we call presbyopia, or old eye, is actually a natural aging process, as the name suggests. Excimer laser applications, which have been successfully applied for many years, do not have a permanent corrective effect on presbyopia.

Although the industry's efforts to produce accommodative lenses that work like our natural lens, that is, which can focus the near and middle distance with the movement of our eye muscles, continue at full speed, the desired point has not been reached in this regard.

Therefore, today, near vision can be achieved with different optical principles and lens designs. In 20 years of developing multifocal lens technology, the most preferred lenses today are diffractive-trifocal lenses. Diffractive bifocal lenses are not used today because they do not show the middle distance well.

For trifocal lens implantation, the anatomical features of the eye should be appropriate and there should be no pathology such as advanced glaucoma, yellow spot diseases that may cause visual impairment other than cataract.

3. EDOF Lenses: (Increasing the depth of focus)

These lenses also contribute to near vision, providing an uninterrupted vision between far and middle distance. Their potential for near vision is lower than that of trifocal lenses. EDOF lenses use different designs utilising different optical principles.

• PIN HOLE
• Spherical Aberration | Pure EDOF
• Low Addition Diffractive Lenses
• Hybrid Lenses: EDOF + Low Addition Diffractive
• Power Increase or WAVEFRONT Modulation in Central Zone

The most preferred lenses today are EDOF lenses, which work on the principles of wavefront modulation and spherical aberration. The main advantage of these lenses is that the loss of contrast and the light reflections, which we call photic phenomena, seen in trifocal lenses are much less. EDOF lenses may be preferred in young patients in active working life, in patients who have previously undergone refractive surgery, in patients whose anatomical and other features of the eye do not allow trifocal lens implantation.

Patients implanted with EDOF lenses do not need glasses for most of their daily activities after surgery, but they may need close-up glasses, albeit with small numbers, for prolonged reading and in cases of insufficient light.

Premium-Smart lens applications

The only permanent treatment for presbyopia, the problem of nearsightedness that occurs after a certain age, is premium lenses. For this reason, especially for people who want to get rid of glasses after the age of 50, lens replacement is performed instead of Excimerlazer and this procedure is called refractive lens replacement since there is no cataract.

Refractive cataract surgery or refractive lens replacement is actually an aesthetic intervention that depends on the person's preference. As in every aesthetic intervention, it is the patient, not the physician, who should make the decision. The task of the physician is to inform the patient correctly and perform the surgery in the best way.

The issue of which patient should wear trifocal lenses and which patient should wear EDOF lenses is the most controversial issue among doctors today. The decision on this issue depends on the presence or absence of cataract, eye characteristics, occupation and expectations of the patient.

The implantation of near vision lenses in the eye requires certain conditions. In simple terms, these lenses should not be worn in the presence of any problems other than numbers or cataracts in the eye. Yellow spot disease, diabeticretinopathy, severe dry eye, corneal dystrophies, keratoconus, optic neuropathy, advanced glaucoma, etc. are conditions where smart lenses should not be worn.

If the eye structure is suitable, your physician calculates the power of the lens to be inserted into the eye by making many calculations. If your astigmatism is above a certain level, toric lenses should be preferred because the most important reason for patient complaints after surgery is the presence of a small number in the eye.

Since the lens will remain in the eye for a lifetime, the quality of the lens material is very important. Refractive status is permanent after both trifocal and EDOF lens implementation. Cataract does not develop again and the need for glasses does not increase or decrease. Nevertheless, an annual eye check is necessary for eye health and other eye diseases that may occur.

As a result, there are many factors that can affect the result in premium lens applications. The result of an optimum surgery performed in suitable patients makes our patients happy.

Early diagnosis is important in eye diseases. Eye examinations are recommended at least once a year.