Since there are no medications that can effectively prevent and delay the onset and development of age-related cataracts, surgery is the only effective method when cataracts cause vision loss that affects learning and life.
When to operate Many readers may ask when cataracts have developed to the point where surgery is needed. This is an important question, and patients will ask their ophthalmologist with this confusion, “I have a cataract, should I receive surgery?” To date, there are still many readers and even some primary care ophthalmologists who are influenced by the misconception that cataracts should be operated only when they have grown mature. In fact, this view is from the 1960s and 1970s, because cataract surgery at that time was to remove the cloudy lens (cloudy lens is cataract) completely without implanting an artificial lens, so it is easier to remove the cataract completely when it grows mature.
How to choose an IOL Some readers may ask why an IOL is needed for cataract treatment. What IOLs are available to patients? To answer these questions, it is important to review some of the knowledge we have previously presented. The lens of the human eye functions like the lens of a camera, and when it gradually ages and becomes cloudy, a cataract is formed. When the cloudy cataract is removed, there is one less lens in the human eye, and although the light is brighter than before, it is still difficult to see. An IOL is a replacement for the lens of the human eye made of some transparent material. With the implantation of an IOL, the human eye can see the colorful world outside as clearly as it did in the past. Therefore, IOL implantation has become a routine procedure in modern cataract surgery. The current IOLs can be broadly divided into two categories, hard IOLs and foldable soft IOLs. The rigid IOL has an optical diameter of about 6 mm, which is relatively large and cannot be folded, so it requires a large incision to be implanted in the eye.
The application of this rigid IOL requires an enlarged incision based on the original minimally invasive small incision, which results in relatively greater surgical damage, slower recovery, and a larger postoperative astigmatism, which affects the recovery of vision. As the hard IOL model, material and design are relatively old, so the price is relatively cheap, generally less than $1000, and can be produced in China. The optical diameter of the folding soft IOL is the same as that of the hard IOL, also about 6 mm, but because it can be folded and implanted into the eye through an incision of less than 3 mm, it can overcome the shortcomings of the hard IOL, and the recovery from surgery is fast, greatly reducing the patient’s pain. However, this type of IOL requires high material and process, and generally relies on foreign imports, which are rarely produced domestically and the process is not up to par, so the price is higher, costing about 2,000 yuan. With the development of technology, many IOLs with more advanced design concepts, for example, adjustable and multifocal IOLs, have been used in clinical practice, which will bring better visual quality to cataract patients.
Our cataract surgery is currently performed using surface anesthesia, and the surgery is completed in 5-10 minutes with no pain to the patient. At present, in order to make it convenient for cataract patients to visit the hospital, the clinic has been opened and patients can go directly to the cataract center triage desk to get the consultation number of the specialist they want to see, and the hospital will provide a good medical environment for patients to get the best treatment as soon as possible.