Eye Care & Surgery Center NJ Bladeless LASIK Laser Cataract Surgeon Blog: lens implants

Eye Care & Surgery Center NJ Bladeless LASIK Laser Cataract Surgeon Blog

Showing posts with label lens implants. Show all posts
Showing posts with label lens implants. Show all posts

Monday, August 5, 2013

New Jersey Cataract Awareness Month

“While it used to be mainly New Jersey seniors interested in learning more about cataracts, cataract surgery and lens implants, today we spend time answering cataract questions from baby boomer patients aging and experiencing cataract related vision problems,” explained Cataract Surgeon Joel Confino, M.D. of The Eye Care & Surgery Center in Westfield, Warren & Iselin, NJ. ‘We are aware of data from Prevent Blindness America that indicates almost 25 million million people age 40 and older have cataracts-a 19 percent increase since the year 2000-and more than half of all Americans over 65 have some degree of cataract development. In fact cataracts are a leading cause of vision loss among seniors. Fortunately, with cataract surgery and lens implants we can readily help people achieve very good vision.”

Many patients do not actually know that a cataract is a clouding of the crystalline lens of the eye preventing light rays from passing through it easily. This results in a clouding and blurring of vision. Patients should understand that cataracts are not a growth or a film over the eye. For many patients cataracts start out slowly and have little effect on vision at first. But, as the cataract becomes denser, so does the impact on vision. The most common symptoms that bother patients with cataracts can include blurring of vision, sensitivity to light and glare, double vision in one eye, poor night vision, fading or yellowing of colors and frequent changes in glasses or contact lens prescriptions.

“What many people do not realize is that the poor vision in seniors is often associated with premature or accelerated mental decline. Further, the challenges reduced vision creates in terms of mobility and safety can also put patients at increased risk for orthopedic injury-especially hip fracture. So, helping seniors restore vision with cataract surgery has an important place in securing senior health, well being, mobility, safety and mental state,” said Dr. Confino.

“When cataracts begin to interfere with daily activities or with patient comfort, mobility and safety, they can be treated surgically. Cataract surgery is one of the safest and most frequently performed surgeries in the United States. Today, we have a full range of lens implants available that allow us to correct nearsightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism and even near vision problems after cataract surgery, as well as distance vision, without requiring bifocals or reading glasses for the vast majority of patients,” explained Dr. Confino.

If you or someone you know has questions about cataract, cataract surgery or lens implants please feel free to call The Eye Care & Surgery Center at 908-789-8999, visit The Eye Care & Surgery Center or facebook.com/eyecareandsurgerycenter to schedule an appointment.

The Eye Care & Surgery Center is staffed by a team of Board Certified NJ Ophthalmologists who are subspecialty Fellowship trained New Jersey eye surgeons, Opticians, technical and administrative staff who provide eye examinations for adults and children, surgery for cataracts, intraocular lens implants (IOL), laser vision correction such as LASIK, diagnosis and treatment of cornea disease including cornea transplants, diagnosis and treatment of diseases of the retina including diabetes and age related macular degeneration (AMD) and diagnosis and treatment of glaucoma, reconstructive and cosmetic facial surgery including eyelid surgery and facial and skin rejuvenation as well as contact lenses, eyeglasses, eyewear and optical services.

With locations in Westfield and Warren and Iselin, The Eye Care & Surgery Center is a leading NJ eye care practice serving the central and northern New Jersey including Old Bridge, East Brunswick, Sayreville, Milltown, North Brunswick, Kendall Park, Somerset, Dunellen, Bridgewater, Manville, Bound Brook, Raritan, Edison, Colonia, Woodbridge, Metuchen, Avenel, Carteret, Piscataway, Middlesex, Somerville, South Plainfield, North Plainfield, Roselle Park, Garwood, Clark, Kenilworth, Cranford, Gillette, Berkeley Heights, Stirling, Scotch Plains, Summit, Chatham, Watchung, Pluckemin, Rahway, Plainfield, Mountainside, Springfield, New Providence, Basking Ridge, Bedminster, Bernardsville, Millington, Union, Elizabeth, Linden, Jersey City, Irvington, Orange, West Orange, Livingston, Short Hills, Florham Park, Madison, Bloomfield, Montclair, Clifton, Garfield, Wayne, Parsippany, Troy Hills and Paramus, New Jersey.

Friday, April 12, 2013

NJ Cataract Surgeon on Waiting for Cataract Surgery

NJ Cataract Surgeon Ivan Jacobs, M.D. of The Eye Care & Surgery Center in Westfield, Warren & Iselin, New Jersey shared thoughts about waiting too long to have cataract surgery and lens implants. “The decision of when to have a cataract removed and replaced with lens implants is really a very personal decision,” said Dr. Jacobs. “Some of my cataract patients are just not happy with the slightest degree of blurry vision or glare sensitivity, whereas others surprise me with how tolerant they are. So, I generally tell patients that their cataracts should be removed when they feel that they have visual discomfort or inconvenience-or any safety issues with navigating each day’s activities with confidence,” Dr. Jacobs explained. 

What patients should know though is that waiting too long for cataract surgery can result is some unintended consequences and possible risks. “For example, as a cataract matures, it does become denser and somewhat more difficult to remove. This requires more energy and may lead to prolonged inflammation or even intraoperative complications,” stated Dr. Jacobs. “For sure we don’t want the cataract to become so dense, swollen and cloudy that it causes a type of glaucoma or impair our view of the retina,” Dr. Jacobs stressed. “In these instances your cataract surgeon is likely to recommend proceeding with cataract removal even though you may not think you are quite ready.” 

If you or someone you know has a cataract or is need of cataract surgery and lens implants please feel free to call The Eye Care & Surgery Center at 908-789-8999, visit The Eye Care & Surgery Center or facebook.com/eyecareandsurgerycenter to schedule an appointment. 

The Eye Care & Surgery Center is staffed by a team of Board Certified NJ Ophthalmologists who are subspecialty Fellowship trained New Jersey eye surgeons, Opticians, technical and administrative staff who provide eye examinations for adults and children, surgery for cataracts, intraocular lens implants (IOL), laser vision correction such as LASIK, diagnosis and treatment of cornea disease including cornea transplants, diagnosis and treatment of diseases of the retina including diabetes and age related macular degeneration (AMD) and diagnosis and treatment of glaucoma, reconstructive and cosmetic facial surgery including eyelid surgery and facial and skin rejuvenation as well as contact lenses, eyeglasses, eyewear and optical services. 

With locations in Westfield and Warren and Iselin, The Eye Care & Surgery Center is a leading NJ eye care practice serving the central and northern New Jersey including Old Bridge, East Brunswick, Sayreville, Milltown, North Brunswick, Kendall Park, Somerset, Dunellen, Bridgewater, Manville, Bound Brook, Raritan, Edison, Colonia, Woodbridge, Metuchen, Avenel, Carteret, Piscataway, Middlesex, Somerville, South Plainfield, North Plainfield, Roselle Park, Garwood, Clark, Kenilworth, Cranford, Gillette, Berkeley Heights, Stirling, Scotch Plains, Summit, Chatham, Watchung, Pluckemin, Rahway, Plainfield, Mountainside, Springfield, New Providence, Basking Ridge, Bedminster, Bernardsville, Millington, Union, Elizabeth, Linden, Jersey City, Irvington, Orange, West Orange, Livingston, Short Hills, Florham Park, Madison, Bloomfield, Montclair, Clifton, Garfield, Wayne, Parsippany, Troy Hills and Paramus, New Jersey.

Wednesday, March 6, 2013

NJ Surgeon on Cataract Lens Implants for Astigmatism


NJ Cataract Surgeon & Corneal Specialist Joel Confino, M.D. commented on correcting astigmatism after cataract surgery with toric lens implants. “Almost all of my cataract patients know from their eye exams or eyeglass prescriptions whether they have astigmatism. Sometimes they don’t realize that it may be necessary for their cataract surgeon to correct that astigmatism in order to get the best visual results after cataract surgery,” explained Dr. Confino.

Astigmatism is a common refractive eye condition that that is most often due to an uneven curvature of the cornea. If the cornea were perfectly shaped, it would have a spherical round even shape, like a basketball. In eyes that have astigmatism, the cornea is typically curved more like an oblong, football-like shape, similar to the shape of the back of a teaspoon. “Depending on the degree and orientation of the unequal curvatures, astigmatism can cause mild or even severe blurry vision,” explained Dr. Confino.

Patients with cataracts and who are in need of cataract surgery have three choices when considering how to correct their astigmatism.

First, patients can simply choose to be dependent on wearing eyeglasses after cataract surgery in order to correct astigmatism.

Second, if appropriate, some patients may opt to have an additional surgical procedure called Limbal Relaxing Incisions (LRI).

Third, patients can elect have an astigmatism correcting toric lens implant in which the astigmatism correction is incorporated into the lens prescription just as in eyeglasses. “Toric lens implants are placed in the eye in exactly the same manner as ordinary lens implants at the time of cataract surgery and correct the astigmatism as part of the cataract surgery operation,” further explained Dr. Confino.

If you or someone you know has cataracts or is considering cataract surgery and has astigmatism please feel free to learn more about astigmatism correction after cataract surgery by calling The Eye Care & Surgery Center at 908-789-8999, visiting The Eye Care & Surgery Center or facebook.com/eyecareandsurgerycenter to schedule an appointment.

The Eye Care & Surgery Center is staffed by a team of Board Certified NJ Ophthalmologists who are subspecialty Fellowship trained New Jersey eye surgeons, Opticians, technical and administrative staff who provide eye examinations for adults and children, surgery for cataracts, intraocular lens implants (IOL), laser vision correction such as LASIK, diagnosis and treatment of cornea disease including cornea transplants, diagnosis and treatment of diseases of the retina including diabetes and age related macular degeneration (AMD) and diagnosis and treatment of glaucoma, reconstructive and cosmetic facial surgery including eyelid surgery and facial and skin rejuvenation as well as contact lenses, eyeglasses, eyewear and optical services.

With locations in Westfield and Warren and Iselin, The Eye Care & Surgery Center is a leading NJ eye care practice serving the central and northern New Jersey including Old Bridge, East Brunswick, Sayreville, Milltown, North Brunswick, Kendall Park, Somerset, Dunellen, Bridgewater, Manville, Bound Brook, Raritan, Edison, Colonia, Woodbridge, Metuchen, Avenel, Carteret, Piscataway, Middlesex, Somerville, South Plainfield, North Plainfield, Roselle Park, Garwood, Clark, Kenilworth, Cranford, Gillette, Berkeley Heights, Stirling, Scotch Plains, Summit, Chatham, Watchung, Pluckemin, Rahway, Plainfield, Mountainside, Springfield, New Providence, Basking Ridge, Bedminster, Bernardsville, Millington, Union, Elizabeth, Linden, Jersey City, Irvington, Orange, West Orange, Livingston, Short Hills, Florham Park, Madison, Bloomfield, Montclair, Clifton, Garfield, Wayne, Parsippany, Troy Hills and Paramus, New Jersey.

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

About Intraocular Lens Implants (IOL)

Intraocular Lens Implants which are also referred to as Intraocular Lenses or IOLs are tiny artificial lenses that are used to correct vision as part of the Cataract Surgery procedure. IOLs can also be used for certain patients who suffer from presbyopia, a condition in which the crystalline lens of the eye becomes less flexible thus losing its ability to focus on near objects.

Monofocal Lens Implants vs. Multifocal Lens Implants
The traditional lens implants that were used for some 25 years were of a type called Monofocal Lens Implants. As the name implies, Monofocal Lens Implants can only offer patients clear vision at one set distance-usually far away. Today we are able to offer patients vision correction after Cataract Surgery with Multifocal or Accommodating Lens Implants that allow patients to see at a range of distances. This technology allows us to replace the eye’s natural lens with a new, artificial lens that can help restore visual clarity for near, intermediate and distance vision with reduced dependence on eyeglasses and often not requiring them at all.

Astigmatism Correcting Toric Lens Implants
For patients who wore eyeglasses to correct astigmatism before their Cataract Surgery they may still experience blurred and distorted vision after traditional Cataract Surgery because a Monofocal IOL cannot correct astigmatism. To achieve the best quality of distance vision with a traditional IOL may still require glasses, contact lens or further surgery. If freedom from glasses for distance vision is important to you, you now have a better option. “We are now able to implant a special lens implant design called an astigmatism correcting toric lens implant making it possible to reduce or eliminate astigmatism and significantly improve uncorrected distance vision”, said Joel Confino, M.D. “Toric IOLs provide significantly improved distance vision and reduce the need for corrective lenses compared to a traditional Monofocal IOL.”

Aspheric Lens Implants
“Most people do not realize that their eyes have optical distortions-called aberrations-that can cause vision problems”, said Ivan Jacobs, M.D. of Eye Care & Surgery Center.
One type of common aberration is called spherical aberration and is generally associated with vision disturbances including:
• Blurriness
• Halos
• Loss of contrast
• Poor night vision

Today at The Eye Care & Surgery Center we can implant aspheric lens implants that are designed to reduce spherical aberration resulting in increased contrast sensitivity, enhanced clarity and improved image quality especially in dim illumination or low contrast environments such as driving at dusk or on rainy foggy conditions.

Please feel free to contact us with your questions about Cataracts, Cataract Surgery or Lens Implants by calling Eye Care & Surgery Center at 908.789.8999.