ADVANCED Cataract eye Surgery – Cape Town

Over half of people older than 65 develop cataracts, yet most cases improve with bladeless cataract eye surgery.
Therefore, if your doctor recently diagnosed a cataract, try not to worry. A cataract simply causes the natural lens inside your eye to become cloudy. As this clouding worsens, light cannot pass through clearly, and vision becomes blurry or dim.

Cataracts may develop slowly over many years, although in some cases they progress within a few months. Sometimes early cataracts stop progressing and cause only mild symptoms. However, if clouding continues, it will interfere with daily vision.

Common Symptoms

  • A painless blurring or dimming of your vision.
  • Glare, or light sensitivity.
  • Frequent eyeglass prescription changes.
  • Double vision in one eye.
  • Needing brighter light to read.
  • Poor night vision.
  • Fading or yellowing of colours.

What Causes Cataracts to Develop?

Cataracts will usually develop as part of the ageing process, but can also result from:

    • Eye injuries
    • Certain chronic diseases such as diabetes
    • Medications
    • Genetic inheritance
    • Long-term, unprotected exposure to sunlight
    • Previous eye surgery

Misconceptions about Cataracts:

  • It is not a growth or film over the eye.
  • It is not caused by overusing the eyes.
  • It is not a cancer, tumour or infection.
  • It is not spread from one eye to the other.
  • It is not a cause of irreversible blindness.

Common Symptoms

A thorough eye examination with an instrument called a slit lamp microscope can detect the presence and extent of a cataract, as well as any other conditions that may be causing blurred vision or discomfort.

How Can Cataracts be Treated?

You may not need cataract treatment if your vision is only slightly blurry. However, your optometrist may improve your sight temporarily by updating your glasses prescription. Even so, no medication, eye drops, exercises, or glasses can make a cataract disappear once it has formed.

Eventually, if you can no longer see well enough to do the things you enjoy, you should consider cataract surgery. Surgery is the only way to remove a cataract and restore clear vision.

Before the procedure, your surgeon measures your eye carefully. These measurements determine the exact power of the intraocular lens (IOL) that will replace your natural lens during cataract surgery. This ensures accurate focusing and the best possible visual outcome.

Cataract Removal Procedure & costs

Cataract surgery takes place under a topical anaesthetic, which keeps the procedure almost painless. The surgeon numbs your eye using only eye drops, so you do not need an injection or general anaesthesia.

After removing the cataract, the surgeon places an artificial intraocular lens (IOL) into the eye. Because the IOL power is calculated beforehand, it provides the best possible post-operative vision. This new lens allows light to pass through clearly and focus sharply on the retina. It also becomes a permanent part of your eye.

You can choose from many types of IOLs, including multifocal, toric, accommodative, and anterior chamber lenses. The surgeon will recommend the lens that best matches your visual needs. In addition, if you have pre-existing astigmatism, the surgeon can correct it during the procedure using astigmatic keratotomy. This improves accuracy and helps ensure a strong visual outcome.

Because the procedure is minimally invasive, you do not need to stay overnight in the hospital. After surgery, you will use eye drops for six weeks to prevent infection and reduce corneal swelling.

Most patients return to work and normal activities within a day or two.
Furthermore, cataract surgery costs are mostly covered by medical aids, making treatment accessible for many patients.

Laser Cataract Surgery

FLACS (Femto Laser-Assisted Cataract Surgery) The femtosecond laser is the newest technology available at Tygervalley Eye and Laser Clinic, to assist with cataract surgery, allowing for increased precision and efficiency. The laser cuts tissue quickly and precisely and is performed just prior to the lens extraction. It is quick and painless. A suction device is utilized to stabilize the eye while the laser energy is applied, in just seconds. The laser can open the capsule, soften the cataract, and make very precise corneal incisions to correct astigmatism. It can be used as an adjunct with any surgery but is best utilized for astigmatism correction, optimizing deluxe lens results, and for patients with Fuchs corneal dystrophy. Please ask about this leading-edge technology when you are ready for cataract surgery. Our office is committed to providing the best outcomes possible.

What to Expect in the Long Term

Sometimes the posterior capsule, which supports the IOL, becomes cloudy months or even years after cataract surgery. This condition is known as an “after cataract” or capsular sclerosis. When this cloudiness affects your vision, your surgeon can restore clarity with a quick and painless laser procedure.

During this treatment, called a YAG laser posterior capsulotomy, the surgeon creates a small opening in the centre of the cloudy membrane. This opening allows light to pass through clearly again. The procedure takes about 15 minutes, and because it is non-invasive, it requires no recovery time.

If you would like more information about cataract surgery in Cape Town, South Africa, you are welcome to contact us.

All medical aids and hospital plans cover cataract surgery and most other eye procedures. The Tygervalley Eye & Laser Centre , Paarl Eye & Laser Centre and the V&A Waterfront Eye & Laser Centre each operate with a dedicated eye hospital in Cape Town, South Africa. Our eye surgeons are designated service providers for Discovery Health, Fedhealth, Bonitas, Profmed, Genesis, GEMS, KeyHealth, Momentum, Medihelp, Transmed, and many other medical aids, as well as private patients.

The first step toward clearer vision is to schedule a consultation and a full ophthalmic assessment of your eyes.