Phaco cataract surgery clears the eyes, reduces dependence on glasses

By Nick Rees

Cataracts affect more than 20.5 million Americans 40 years of age or older, the Centers for Disease Control reports, with more than half of all Americans over the age of 80 diagnosed with cataracts.

Cataracts occur when the crystalline lens of the eye or its envelope clouds, obstructing the passage of light and causing the slow loss of vision, eventually leading to blindness.

To combat cataracts, surgeons can remove the eye's natural lens, which is then replaced with an artificial lens.

"The goal of cataract surgery is to remove a cloudy lens through a high frequency ultrasound procedure known as phacoemulsification," Dr. Steven Brown, MD, selected as a Chicago Top Doctor by TopTierMD as a top rated ophthalmologist in Chicago, said. "During the procedure, we replace the cloudy lens with a prosthesis made out of specialized plastic. The procedure is well tolerated by everybody."

In most cases, Dr. Brown said, the surgery is very successful in improving a patient's eyesight.

"The surgery is about 98 percent uncomplicated, with significant visual improvement in the vast majority of patients," Dr. Brown said. "We have to qualify that, however, by saying that glaucoma or macular degeneration or corneal disease can compromise expectations.

"In the vast majority, though, it provides improvement in one's vision and increases their independence from spectacles. The goal today, really, is to not only remove the cloudy lens, but also to diminish that individual's dependence on glasses."

The phacoemulsification procedure takes less than a half an hour and is done under minimal anesthesia. In most cases, Dr. Brown said, no stitches are used, and a patch may or may not be used afterward during healing. The patient can usually resume normal activities within 24 to 48 hours.

"My surgical skills with cataract surgery evolved out of my glaucoma work," Dr. Brown said. "I've been doing these surgeries for 25 years and I do quite a few of them.

"My goal with these surgeries is to make sure the patient fully understands the goals of the surgery and what the patient's expectations are. It's important to fit and match the lens implant to what the patient wants to see."

Dr. Steven Brown, MD, was selected by TopTierMD as a Chicago Top Doctor and is considered Best in Ophthalmology in Chicago. He specializes in trabeculectomy, phaco and complex cataract surgery.