Cataracts are a leading cause of blindness worldwide, and something that creeps up on many older people. They are tiny opacities in the eye’s lens, where aging causes the protein molecules to clump together, blocking light. The lens is made principally of protein and water and normally is completely transparent. It sits behind the iris (colored part).
The clear front part of the eye is the cornea. Both the cornea and the lens are curved, transparent structures, and they both allow light to pass through into the eye. Their curvature bends (refracts) the light as it passes through. Incoming light rays need to be bent so as to focus on the retina, the “camera film” at the back of the eye. This gives clear vision at all distances.
When cataracts start to form in the lens, some of the incoming light is prevented from reaching the retina. Blurry vision is the result. There is so far no way to remove cataracts from the lens, so cataract treatment involves removing the lens from the eye and replacing it with an intraocular lens (IOL).
Accommodation
When the eye loses its lens, it loses more than just a refractive structure. The lens has accommodative ability – meaning that it can change its curvature. The cornea cannot do this. But the lens has tiny muscles on each side which contract and relax to make the lens curvature flatter or steeper. This is how we can glance from our book to the coffee maker to the distant mountains and back to our book, and see them all clearly. The lens automatically accommodates itself to those distances, changing how much it bends the incoming light.
For some years, there were no IOLs which could replace this lost accommodative ability. We now have the Crystalens®, which mimics it. It is the first, and so far the only, accommodating IOL.
How Does Crystalens Work?
It has a hinge on each side and is positioned so as to be controlled by the same little muscles which used to control the natural lens. When those muscles relax, the Crystalens moves slightly forward, mimicking increased lens curvature. When they contract, the Crystalens moves a little back, mimicking flatter lens curvature. The result is clear vision at all distances. For more information on Crystalens, click here.
The Cataract Procedure
The eye is first numbed with eyedrops. Using ultrasound energy, Dr. Almallah will gently break up the cataract lens. This makes it easy to remove through a tiny incision, using suction. Then he will insert the Crystalens and position it correctly. This procedure takes only about 15 minutes. There will be a short adaptation period while you get used to seeing this way, and Dr. Almallah will give your help and advice about it. You will very soon be enjoying clear vision at all distances. Dr. Almallah is a nationally recognized cataract surgeon and has performed over 15,000 cataract operations.
Questions About Cataract Surgery
Please see our Eye Conditions page for more information on cataracts, glaucoma, and other conditions which interfere with clear vision. If you would like more extensive information, our 3D Eye Online Education has many tutorials on the eye’s anatomy, eye conditions, and treatments.
If you are anywhere in the Monmouth and Ocean County areas in New Jersey, we would love to hear from you. You can call us or send an email to schedule a personal consultation. We believe strongly in patient education and will always happy to answer questions and offer suggestions on how you could best improve your eyesight.