What is a cataract?
A cataract is a cloudy area in the lens of your eye (the clear part of the eye that helps to focus light), that causes a gradual loss of vision. Eyeglasses or contact lenses can usually correct slight vision concerns caused by early cataracts, but if a severe cataract is present they cannot sharpen your vision.
What is cataract surgery?
Once a cataract has developed, there is no cure except to have it removed with cataract surgery: a short, common outpatient procedure.
During cataract surgery, the cataract is removed through a tiny incision in the cornea and replaced with a synthetic intraocular lens (IOL). Many different types of lenses are available to suit your needs. Government health plans typically cover a basic fixed focus lens, and advanced technology lenses are available to patients who want a better chance at living glasses-free after surgery.
Benefits of Cataract Surgery
There are several benefits to cataract surgery: namely, restored vision, reduced light sensitivity, and overall enhanced quality of life. It’s a fast procedure that is done on-site at our clinic or at the hospital, and it typically takes less than an hour. Recovery is quick and results are long-lasting — once the lens is replaced, the eye cannot develop cataracts again.
Options to Suit Your Lifestyle
We offer different options for cataract surgery to suit your lifestyle. The choices you make for your procedure can help optimize your outcome and maximize your opportunity for reduced dependence on glasses after cataract surgery.
Basic and Aspheric Lenses: The basic government lens often provides satisfactory vision and is covered under the provincial health plan. This monofocal lens doesn’t correct presbyopia, so glasses will be required for near vision tasks such as reading. If you have an astigmatism, glasses will be necessary for distance vision as well.
Aspheric lenses are also monofocal but give the opportunity for better colour and low light vision than basic replacement lenses.
Astigmatism (Toric) Lenses: About 70% of people have astigmatism, which is a football-shaped curvature of the eye. Toric lenses offer patients an opportunity for improved distance vision and reduced need to wear glasses after surgery (though reading glasses will still be required). This option is not covered under your provincial health care plan, MCP.
Enhanced Measurements: Enhanced measurements help tailor the most appropriate advanced technology aspheric lens to your individual eye. These measurements are essential to maximize outcomes when patients choose advanced technology lenses for their cataract surgery.
Enhanced measurements including special diagnostic equipment is used to identify Corneal Spherical Aberration, and this is combined with Biometry Laser Measurement for results 10 times more accurate than the older A-scan Ultrasound measurement typically covered under government health insurance. The enhanced measurements are not covered under your provincial health care plan, MCP.
What happens during cataract surgery?
Cataract surgery is a popular, highly successful procedure — and most patients find the process to be seamless.
Before the surgery, our team will conduct a comprehensive eye exam, evaluate your overall eye health, and determine which type of intraocular lens (IOL) best suits your needs.
On the day of surgery, you’ll meet with our team to discuss the procedure and ensure you feel comfortable every step of the way.
During the surgery, you receive local anesthetic to prevent discomfort and a mild sedative if required. A tiny incision is made in the cornea and the intraocular lens (IOL) is inserted into the eye and the incision is closed.
The surgery takes about 10 minutes per eye, and your vision will be restored quickly as your eye heals.
Cataract surgery is a very successful operation. Over 1.5 million people have this procedure every year in North America, and 95% have successful results.
