CATARACT SURGERY IN LOUISVILLE
ADVANCED CATARACT TREATMENT
Koby Karp Doctors Eye Institute provides professional cataract surgery in Louisville, KY, restoring patients’ eye health and improving their quality of life.
CUMBERSOME CATARACTS
Adults over 40 may start experiencing cloudy vision caused by cataracts. When they develop, you’ll end up with blurry vision and sensitivity to light. The worst thing is, unlike other eye problems such as farsightedness or nearsightedness, there is no way to cure cataracts once they’ve formed—apart from surgery.
Koby Karp Doctors Eye Institute offers advanced cataract surgery for patients in Louisville, KY. Our cataract surgeons have years of experience and use state-of-the-art laser technology to ensure your cataract removal procedure goes well and provides the best results.
LASER-ASSISTED CATARACT SURGERY
Over the years, the use of laser has made cataract surgery a safer, more efficient process of removing cataracts from the eyes. We discuss different cataract surgeries and other solutions that improve the results.
CURRENT SURGERY
This is a type of non-laser surgery where an eye surgeon makes a few small incisions using a blade so they can work on removing cataracts.
Next, the surgeon makes a circular hole in the “bag” that holds your eye’s lens and removes it. An ultrasound machine will then break up the lens with cataracts.
LASER-ASSISTED SURGERY
Unlike the surgery mentioned above, laser-assisted cataract surgery uses a laser to make precise incisions on your eyes, then make a circular opening in the “bag” that holds your lens. The laser then cuts the lens into small pieces, successfully breaking up cataracts.
INTRAOCULAR LENS
Intraocular Lens or IOL is an implant lens inserted into the “bag” that holds your natural lens. This helps clear up your vision after cataract surgery.
PREMIUM INTRAOCULAR LENSES
Koby Karp Doctors Eye Institute also offers the AcrySof® ReSTOR® IOL, a premium multifocal IOL that gives you near through distance vision
If you are interested in learning more about laser-assisted cataract surgery, make an appointment to see one of our surgeons for a consultation at (502) 897-1604 or fill out our contact form.
INTRAOCULAR LENS (IOL)
An Intraocular Lens implant is a lens inserted into the eye where it remains permanently. It is never necessary for the patient to touch or remove it. Intraocular Lens is about the same size as a contact lens and does not result in distortion as do thick glasses. This procedure does not change the outward appearance of the eyes. Even if a lens has been implanted in your eye, it may be necessary to wear regular glasses after surgery. The strength of the implant is determined for you based on computerized measurements and tests before the operation.
Here’s great news for cataract patients! Over the last decade, multi-focal intraocular lenses and toric (astigmatism) lenses, often called “premium” intraocular lenses, have allowed cataract surgery patients to enjoy a greater level of spectacle freedom. These new technologies have helped reduce the need for glasses for those patients who have astigmatism , strong eyeglass corrections and even for different ranges of distance, such as for reading and driving.
PREMIUM INTRAOCULAR LENSES
Drs. David Karp, Scott Hoffman, and Connie Meredith are now making the “premium” multi-focal intraocular lenses available to our patients having cataract surgery. Each person and each eye are different so our doctors will discuss with you the options of vision correction with cataract surgery and recommend the best plan to meet your individual visual needs.
The AcrySof® ReSTOR® IOL was designed to provide quality near to distance vision by combining the strengths of apodized diffractive and refractive technologies. Similar technology has been used for years in microscopes and telescopes to improve image quality and has now been patented for use in intraocular lenses by Alcon.
To get more valuable information about the ReSTOR® IOL go to: https://www.acrysofrestor.com
PATIENT TESTIMONIALS FOR MULTI-FOCAL IOL
Visit our testimonials page and find more feedback from our patients.
Listen to what our patient Joe says about premium intraocular lenses.
YOU DON’T HAVE TO SETTLE FOR LESS.
In the past, doctors were not allowed to exceed Medicare’s established price for the procedure or to ask patients to make up the difference for the multifocal or toric lenses. Medicare patients couldn’t pay extra for a “premium” lens. Now the rules have changed.
Doctors and Medicare patients will have the freedom to select technology to treat cataracts consistent with the patient’s lifestyle. Previously, the government paid most of the treatment price, including surgery, insertion of a traditional intraocular lens, and one pair of eyeglasses or contact lenses.
Further good news is that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services now allow Medicare beneficiaries to choose these more expensive lenses as long as they pay for the extra cost themselves.
“Some friends of mine who have had cataract surgery and just got the regular lenses are envious of me because I can see without glasses, even up close! My decision to get the premium lenses was one of the best decisions I ever made!” Ms. N.D. – St. Matthews
“My husband says I was really smart to get the premium lenses when I had cataract surgery. He says now that he is really sorry that he didn’t get the premium lenses when he had his surgery. I feel badly for him but I am very glad for me.” Mrs. T.L. – Crestwood
“After all these years of wearing glasses, I still can’t believe I don’t need them anymore…but I don’t.” Mr. RKF, Jr. – Jeffersontown
“I almost decided to have the standard lenses put in when I had it (cataract surgery) but the doctor told me about the benefits of having the premium lenses so I would be able to see without needing glasses. And I agreed to do it. And he was right. I don’t even need them to watch TV!” G.F. – Louisville
MEDICARE PATIENTS
Further good news is that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services do now allow Medicare beneficiaries to choose these more expensive lenses as long as they pay for the extra cost themselves. Doctors and Medicare patients will have the freedom to select technology to treat cataracts that is consistent with the patient’s lifestyle. Previously, the government paid most of the price of treatment, including surgery, insertion of a traditional intraocular lens, and one pair of eye glasses or contact lenses. In the past, Doctors were not allowed to exceed Medicare’s established price for the procedure or to ask patients to make up the difference for the multifocal or toric lenses. Medicare patients couldn’t pay extra for a “premium” lens. Now the rules have changed.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
A thorough eye examination can detect the presence of a cataract. This examination can also detect any other conditions that may be causing you to have blurred vision or other eye problems.
Some patients may have problems with other parts of the eye, such as the retina, cornea, or optic nerve which can be responsible for vision loss. These problems could prevent improvement in vision after cataract surgery. Therefore, cataract removal may not be recommended if improvement in your vision is unlikely. Your doctor can tell you how much vision improvement is likely.
A cataract can only be removed with surgery. The right time to remove the cataract depends on your daily visual needs. Surgery may not yet be needed in cases where the symptoms of the cataract are not causing discomfort or inconvenience. In some cases, a change in your eyeglass prescription may be helpful.
By using a small incision (2-3 millimeters), no-stitch ultrasonic technique of lens removal and intraocular lens implantation, clear vision can be efficiently restored. For those patients who develop “secondary” clouding of the lens months or years after cataract surgery, we have a laser in the office for convenient treatment of this condition
There are no medications, exercises or dietary supplements that have been proven to either cure or prevent cataracts.
Protection from excessive sunlight is recommended to help slow the progression of cataracts. Wearing sunglasses that screen out ultraviolet (UV) light rays or regular glasses with a clear, anti-UV coating can provide such protection.
It is time to consider surgery for cataracts when your visual impairment interferes with your job or daily life. It is not true that cataracts need to be “ripe” before they can be removed. Likewise, cataracts do not need to be removed just because they are present.
Cataract surgery should be performed when your daily visual needs require it. Your decision should be based on whether or not you can see to do your job, drive safely and engage in such activities as reading and watching TV in comfort. Can you see well enough to perform daily tasks such as cooking, shopping or taking medications without difficulty?
You and your doctor should decide together when surgery is appropriate based on your symptoms.
Cataract surgery is most often performed on an outpatient basis using local or topical anesthesia. During the procedure, the cloudy lens is removed from the eye. One method of cataract removal uses high frequency sound waves to gently break the cataract into tiny pieces. These pieces are then removed by delicate suction. Then the focusing power of the natural lens is restored by replacing it with a permanent intraocular lens implant.
CORRECTION FOR ASTIGMATISM
Astigmatism is an irregularity in the shape of the cornea. There are degrees of astigmatism that may cause blurred vision even after the cataract surgery has been performed. Low to moderate astigmatism may be corrected by Limbal Relaxing Incisions (LRI) or a Toric IOL.
For patients with higher amounts of astigmatism, your surgeon might recommend a Toric implant. Correcting the astigmatism by implanting the lens inside the eye gives you better clarity of vision than a non-astigmatism implant with glasses. These implants are designed to correct higher amounts of astigmatism than the LRI procedure discussed above.
BRING BACK YOUR CLEAR VISION WITH CATARACT SURGERY
Even though cataracts are a common cause of decreased vision, particularly for the elderly, they are treatable. Your ophthalmologist can tell you whether a cataract is the cause of your vision loss and can help you decide if cataract surgery is appropriate for you.
It is important to have a comprehensive eye exam with your eye doctor to see if any other problems could be causing your vision problems.
The experienced cataract surgeons at Koby Karp Doctors Eye Institute are ready to help. Make an appointment for a consultation at our Louisville, KY clinic regarding cataracts by calling (502) 897-1604 or (800) 777-4393.
