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Cataract Surgery
Cataracts cause cloudy, blurred vision that can impair your quality of life. At Mile High Eye Institute, which has locations in Denver metro community including Castle Rock, Broomfield, Aurora, Littleton as well as our satellites in Goodland, KS and Edwards, CO. William Richheimer, MD, and Zachary Vest, MD, are top cataract surgeons in the ophthalmology field. Dr. Richheimer is a leading cataract and cornea specialist, while Dr. Vest specializes in glaucoma treatment as well as cataract surgery. To learn more about cataract surgery, call Mile High Eye Institute or schedule an appointment online today.
What is cataract surgery?
A cataract is a condition in which the natural lens of your eye fogs up and becomes cloudy. Cataracts can substantially impair your vision, making it difficult to read, drive, or even see clearly at night. To restore healthy vision, the team at Mile High Eye Institute replaces the clouded lens with an artificial alternative.
Dr. Richheimer and Dr. Vest are two of the best cataract surgeons in Colorado, with the former being a top cornea specialist and the latter a well-known glaucoma specialist.
Why do I need cataract surgery?
If you have cataracts, surgery may be your best option for restoring your vision. A cataract develops when the fibers and proteins in the eye break down and cloud the lens, which is typically transparent. Common risk factors for cataracts include:
- Age (being over age 40)
- Eye trauma
- Steroid medications
- Radiation
- Genetics
- Previous eye surgery
- Diabetes
- Excess weight
- High alcohol consumption
- Too much sun exposure without eye protection
Visiting Mile High Eye Institute for regular eye exams can help the team identify the early warning signs of cataracts before they progress.
What are the signs that I need cataract surgery?
The most common signs and symptoms of cataracts include:
- Cloudy or foggy vision
- Light sensitivity
- Seeing lights with halos
- Poor night vision
- Double vision, often in one eye
- Seeing dim, faded, or yellowing colors
Another telltale sign that you need cataract surgery is if you frequently change prescriptions for glasses or contact lenses to improve your vision.
What can I expect from cataract surgery?
If you’ve already tried nonsurgical cataract treatments, such as glasses or contacts, with little success, the team may recommend cataract surgery.
The entire procedure takes just 30 minutes. If you have cataracts in both eyes, then you need two separate appointments, as the team only performs the procedure on one eye at a time.
After administering numbing eye drops and sedative medication to keep you comfortable during surgery, the team makes a small incision in the eye and removes the damaged lens. Next, they replace the cloudy lens with an artificial alternative that matches your glasses or contacts prescription.
The new lens may include a mono-focal lens, multifocal lens, or a lens that corrects astigmatism, so you don’t have to wear corrective lenses after surgery.
At your follow-up visit the next day, the team examines your eye to ensure it’s healing properly. They may perform cataract surgery in your second eye at this visit if you need corrective surgery in both eyes.
To learn more about cataract surgery, schedule an eye exam with Mile High Eye Institute. Call the nearest office or book an appointment online to learn more.