Brant F. Carroll,
MD
Board Certified
Ophthalmologist
Cataract
Surgery
Cataract Surgery
Cataract is still the leading cause of blindness worldwide. Over a million cataract surgeries are done yearly in the United States. Cataract surgery techniques have evolved and most surgeries in this country are done using an extracapsular technique, which has proven itself to have a lower complication rate than older techniques in which the entire lens of the eye was removed. Extracapsular surgery has allowed artificial lens implantation to be very safe and barring any unusual preexisting eye conditions, lens implantation is routine today. Phacoemulsification is a variation of the extracapsular technique that generally has the same end result as larger incision surgery, however it uses a very small incision. The lens of the eye is ground into microscopic bits, which are sucked out of the eye. Because of these very small incisions, lens manufacturers have developed implants that may be folded like a taco shell and inserted into the eye though an incision that is smaller than the diameter of the implant itself. Small incisions and foldable implants mean faster visual recovery for patients.
Phacoemulsification surgery continues to evolve at a rapid pace. Dr. Carroll's current technique of choice is to perform these procedures under topical anesthesia (no needle required to anesthetize the eye) using a temporal clear corneal incision and to implant foldable acrylic lenses. Patients can be told with confidence that the no needle, no stitch surgery will lead to rapid visual recovery and rapid return to normal activities. Surgery is generally planned for two to three weeks in advance and in most cases will require the patient to see their family doctor for a brief preoperative physical exam one or two weeks before surgery. Generally glasses can be fitted at two to four weeks postoperatively.
Dr. Carroll performs cataract surgery in our own Certified surgery center in our office in Ballard. The facility is state of the art and is equipped with new phacoemulsification equipment as well as a variety of lens implant choices. An anesthesiologist is present for all surgeries and will administer light intravenous sedation during surgery.
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