For the patients, as well as doctors, it is not easy to describe satisfaction and new life dimension obtained after cataract surgery and years of wearing glasses. Sometimes we get so used to disadvantages and aid equipment we fix them with, that we don’t even think there’s something better, in fear of ignorance.
Cataract is a natural lens blurt that leads to weakening of vision, blurred vision, appearance of double images, changes in color sensation, difficulty in reading of newspapers and books, and finally a reduction in the general quality of life.
The cataract surgery removes the blurred lens and incorporates clear one, transparent artificial lens. The operation lasts only for about 10 minutes, and it is done in local anaesthesia (eye drops), completely painless, safe and efficient.
If the patient decides to implant the so-called multifocal lenses or an enlarged vision lens (Symfony lens), after this surgery one can read, shave, do make-up, work on a computer, drive a car, watch TV, play sports, and do all the things that are part of everyday life without any glasses or fear of stumbling, falling over, etc.!
Just last week I operated on a 56-year-old patient who had glaucoma and high short-sightedness (minus 9.00 on the right and minus 6.00 dioptre on the left eye). From childhood, she wore far-sighted glasses, and for the last ten years even the glasses for computer/reading. Since she has many years to retire ahead and she is doing an administrative job spending a lot of time on the computer, she decided to install the so-called Symfony lens. At the examination, our patient was thrilled with the result. After only 6 days she sees well at the vicinity and at the so-called medium distance (computer, control panel in the car, etc.) and at distance. According to our patient, she does not remember she ever saw the environment so clearly. After a couple of days, she was doing bits of everyday activities and she will be back to work tomorrow.
However, our patients often have additional problems such as astigmatism (a type of dioptre with increased curvature of the cornea). In this case, it is necessary to incorporate a toric lens, so that the patient shouldn’t need glasses after surgery.
Today, a 44-year-old gentleman who had surgery on his right eye at the beginning of the month and a week later on his left eye, arrived for the check-up. He was also highly short-sighted (-6.00 and -8.00 dioptres), and on the right eye had 3 dioptres of astigmatism. This gentleman is very active, he works a lot, and he wanted, if possible, to solve cataract and dioptres in one procedure at one go. In the right eye, we installed the Symphony Toric Lens (for astigmatism problems) and Symfony lens in the left eye because he had no astigmatism on that eye. The result - the gentleman who arrived at the ophthalmic clinic Svjetlost with three problems – cataract, short-sightedness and astigmatism - came out completely "cured"!
In both examples, patients were younger, indicating that the cataract occurs in the earlier lifespan. We had minus dioptre (myopia or short-sightedness), but these lenses can also be incorporated in plus dioptre (hyperopia or farsightedness). Patients with minus dioptre more often and earlier get a cataract, and surgery is somewhat more demanding for several reasons (large eye, question of accuracy, eye background condition, lens stability, etc.), so we have just mentioned such examples.
For the patients, as well as doctors, it is not easy to describe satisfaction and new life dimension obtained after cataract surgery and years of wearing glasses. Sometimes we get so used to disadvantages and aid equipment we fix them with, that we don’t even think there’s something better, in fear of ignorance. That is the reason why Eye Clinic Svjetlost is here to come up with solutions for your vision and eye problems every week!
dr. Ante Barišić, spec. ophthalmologist, head of Cataract Department
The cataract surgery removes the blurred lens and incorporates clear one, transparent artificial lens. The operation lasts only for about 10 minutes, and it is done in local anaesthesia (eye drops), completely painless, safe and efficient.
If the patient decides to implant the so-called multifocal lenses or an enlarged vision lens (Symfony lens), after this surgery one can read, shave, do make-up, work on a computer, drive a car, watch TV, play sports, and do all the things that are part of everyday life without any glasses or fear of stumbling, falling over, etc.!
Just last week I operated on a 56-year-old patient who had glaucoma and high short-sightedness (minus 9.00 on the right and minus 6.00 dioptre on the left eye). From childhood, she wore far-sighted glasses, and for the last ten years even the glasses for computer/reading. Since she has many years to retire ahead and she is doing an administrative job spending a lot of time on the computer, she decided to install the so-called Symfony lens. At the examination, our patient was thrilled with the result. After only 6 days she sees well at the vicinity and at the so-called medium distance (computer, control panel in the car, etc.) and at distance. According to our patient, she does not remember she ever saw the environment so clearly. After a couple of days, she was doing bits of everyday activities and she will be back to work tomorrow.
However, our patients often have additional problems such as astigmatism (a type of dioptre with increased curvature of the cornea). In this case, it is necessary to incorporate a toric lens, so that the patient shouldn’t need glasses after surgery.
Today, a 44-year-old gentleman who had surgery on his right eye at the beginning of the month and a week later on his left eye, arrived for the check-up. He was also highly short-sighted (-6.00 and -8.00 dioptres), and on the right eye had 3 dioptres of astigmatism. This gentleman is very active, he works a lot, and he wanted, if possible, to solve cataract and dioptres in one procedure at one go. In the right eye, we installed the Symphony Toric Lens (for astigmatism problems) and Symfony lens in the left eye because he had no astigmatism on that eye. The result - the gentleman who arrived at the ophthalmic clinic Svjetlost with three problems – cataract, short-sightedness and astigmatism - came out completely "cured"!
In both examples, patients were younger, indicating that the cataract occurs in the earlier lifespan. We had minus dioptre (myopia or short-sightedness), but these lenses can also be incorporated in plus dioptre (hyperopia or farsightedness). Patients with minus dioptre more often and earlier get a cataract, and surgery is somewhat more demanding for several reasons (large eye, question of accuracy, eye background condition, lens stability, etc.), so we have just mentioned such examples.
For the patients, as well as doctors, it is not easy to describe satisfaction and new life dimension obtained after cataract surgery and years of wearing glasses. Sometimes we get so used to disadvantages and aid equipment we fix them with, that we don’t even think there’s something better, in fear of ignorance. That is the reason why Eye Clinic Svjetlost is here to come up with solutions for your vision and eye problems every week!
dr. Ante Barišić, spec. ophthalmologist, head of Cataract Department