Diagnosing a cataract

As you age, the proteins in the lens of your eye begin to deteriorate, leading to a clouding of your lens.  The progression of a cataract is generally slow, so you may have a cataract for several years before it causes enough visual distortion to warrant removal.  Your eye doctor can easily identify a cataract through a microscope called a slit lamp, but some cataracts can even be seen clearly with the naked eye.  Once a cataract has progressed enough to reduce your quality of life, our physician will recommend surgery.

Pre-operative tests

Cataract surgery entails removing the cloudy, natural lens from the eye and replacing it with a synthetic lens.  In order to determine the power and type of lens to implant, a test technician at Midwest Eye Care will perform a few tests that should be completed in less than thirty minutes.  These tests will either be performed on the day of the exam or in the days leading up to surgery.

Pre-operative history and physical exam

Because cataract surgery requires mild sedation to anesthetize the eye and mask any slight pain you might otherwise feel, we ask each patient to visit their family physician before surgery to ensure the patient is 'fit for surgery.'  The great majority of patients will tolerate surgery without any problems, but there are patients with lung or heart disease, advanced diabetes or conditions that require more precautions and preparation prior to surgery.  Your family physician is the best person to advise us of these conditions, and this requirement often helps patients make a long-overdue visit to their family physician.

The day before surgery

Surgical patients should stop eating solid food and colored liquids twelve hours before surgery; for most patients, we simply tell them to not eat after midnight on the day before their surgery.  In terms of medications, our surgical scheduler will provide guidance on which medications should or should not be taken on surgery day.

Check-in on surgery day

Although requirements will vary by facility, at Midwest Eye Surgery Center you will be asked to report sixty minutes before your scheduled surgery time.  You should plan on bringing a friend or family member who can drive you home after surgery, because one eye will be patched and the effects of sedation may linger for several hours after surgery. 

After you check in, you will be asked to complete a few brief registration worksheets before you are escorted back to the dressing room.  Patients are asked to trade their shirt for a dressing gown; patients continue to wear their pants, so we suggest you wear loose-fitting pants that will be comfortable whether you are sitting or laying down.

A nurse will then complete a pre-operative clinical review of your condition and overall health history.  After registering your vital signs, the anesthetist will administer a mild sedative to help you relax.  The physician will numb your eye about fifteen minutes before you enter the operative room.  Many patients are so relaxed after the sedative is administered that they take a short nap before surgery.

The operating room

You will be transported to the operating room on a gurney and positioned under the operating microscope and light.  Although the light will be bright, it won't be bothersome because of the combination of the sedative, the numbing drops in the operated eye and a paper drape over your non-operated eye.  Relaxing music will be playing in the background, and you'll be able to hear the voices of the surgeon, nurses and anesthetist.  The physician and the anesthetist will speak with you several times during the procedure to make sure you are comfortable, but they will ask you to refrain from speaking at other times to limit your eye movement.  After less than thirty minutes, you will be wheeled back to a recovery station.

Recovery

Immediately after surgery, a nurse will measure your vital signs and remove any dressings remaining from surgery.  The nurse will provide you and your escort with instructions on medications, bathing and when to report for your one-day post-operative exam.  After the nurse has ensured that the patients are able to walk safely and under their own command, most patients are discharged within thirty to sixty minutes after surgery.