Working with an ophthalmologist like Dr. John Kirk and an optometrist like Dr. Dustin Asay of the Kirk Eye Center in Loveland, CO, can help you manage cataracts and possibly recover completely.
What Are Cataracts?
Your lens is a clear area at the front of your eyeball that focuses incoming light. As you age, however, the proteins and fibers in this area may degrade. As a result, your vision can get progressively hazier.
A cataract, or cloudy lens, can occur in one or both eyes. It may happen as a result of age or due to factors like steroid medicine use, diabetes, or prior surgeries.
How Can IOLs Help With Cataract Vision Loss?
Intraocular lens implants (IOLs) are small, transparent medical devices. By replacing your lens with an IOL, your doctor can reverse the effects of your cataract.
Different types of IOLs serve distinct vision-correcting goals:
- Monofocal: These devices remain focused at a fixed distance.
- Multifocal: These IOLs have multiple zones for seeing things at different distances, which may require some getting used to.
- Accommodating: These implants are flexible, similar to how your eye’s natural lenses work.
- Tonic: These IOLs are specifically for people with astigmatism, or oblong corneas.
Getting an IOL
Before getting your IOL, you’ll need to talk to an ophthalmologist. Depending on your case, you may be advised to wait to remove your cataract if it only produces minor effects.
After approving your surgery, your eye doctor will measure your eye to create a custom-fitted implant. In the run-up to the procedure, you may be given medicated eyedrops. Some patients are asked to quit wearing contact lenses or taking certain medicines.
The actual surgery is usually an outpatient procedure. You’ll receive a numbing agent and possibly a drug to help you relax, but you’ll be conscious during the process.
The surgeon will make a small incision to access the cloudy lens through the cornea, extract it bit by bit, and insert the implant.
After a brief recovery in the outpatient center, you can return home. While you will need a driver to take you back from your treatment, you will not have any need to stay inpatient during your recovery period.
Reclaim Your Vision at Kirk Eye Center
Cataracts lower your quality of life, making it impossible to enjoy the gift of vision. Want to take back control? Talk to Dr. John Kirk, a board-certified ophthalmologist at Kirk Eye Center in Loveland, CO, by calling 970-669-1107 or scheduling your next appointment online.
