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Glaucoma | Cataracts | Cataracts FAQs
 One of the leading causes of blindness in the United States, glaucoma is an eye disease that causes damage to the eye's optic nerve. In most glaucoma patients, the optic nerve damage is incurred when intraocular pressure (IOP) becomes elevated. High IOP occurs when the fluid in the eye does not drain properly. If left untreated, high IOP can damage the optic nerve and cause vision loss. There are also less common cases of glaucoma where optic nerve damage occurs without high eye pressure. Glaucoma often presents no symptoms in its early stages -- only by having regular eye exams can the disease be found.
Are you at risk for glaucoma? If you are over the age of 60, have a family history of glaucoma, have diabetes, or are an African American over age 40, then you may have an increased risk of developing glaucoma. Scheduling an appointment that includes a test for glaucoma could save your sight! While there is no cure for glaucoma, there are a number of treatments that can lower IOP and help preserve your vision.
At Ophthalmic Surgeons, we offer a variety of advanced glaucoma treatments. The first line of care is usually medication that works to lower intraocular pressure. We provide our patients with the newest, most effective medications available. They may be oral or topical (including eye drops). We will work with you to find the best medicine for your individual case. If medication alone does not lower IOP, we also offer advanced surgical treatment for glaucoma.
The SLT Laser
 Our office is pleased to offer treatment with the new Selective Laser Trabeculoplasty (SLT). The SLT is a cool, “smart” laser that targets the specific, pigmented cells that help control eye pressure. The laser does not damage surrounding tissue and has proven effective at lowering IOP. Treatment with the SLT is done in a few minutes in our office, and the procedure can be repeated if necessary. Ophthalmic Surgeons is the only practice in Columbus to offer glaucoma treatment with the new SLT.
Selective Laser Trabeculoplasty (SLT) is an advanced type of laser treatment to manage patients with open-angle glaucoma. Instead of generally burning tissue as in ALT, SLT selectively stimulates or changes only specific pigmented cells to activate increased fluid drainage. Both SLT and ALT produce equivalent drops in IOP, however the more gentler SLT procedure does not have the associated damage to other tissues and adverse scarring effects. For this reason, where ALT is limited, SLT may potentially be repeated. SLT also has been found to be effective when ALT and other forms of medical treatment have failed.
Benefits of SLT
- SLT results in a biological response that increases aqueous drainage, and reduces intraocular pressure without burning tissue.
- No adverse scarring or trabecular meshwork.
- May reduce the need for lifelong use of expensive eye drops and other medications.
- May reduce or eliminate the trouble of always having to take glaucoma medications.
GDx Nerve Fiber Layer Analyzer
- This technology provides a rapid, objective and accurate evaluation by examining the nerve fiber layer that is directly effected by glaucoma. (see illustration below)
- The nerve fiber layer, the tissue layer recognized to be the first sight of glaucoma damage, can detect signs of the disease earlier than the most common tests, thus enabling early treatment. Retinal fiber loss can sometimes be detected more than six years before visual field defects occur.
- Test parameters do not rely on questionable risk factor for glaucoma.
- Nerve fiber analysis with polarimetry shows early damage by glaucoma.
- No dilation is required.
- Takes only minutes, per eye, to perform.
The GDx Nerve Fiber Layer Analyzer
Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer
If you have glaucoma or would like to be tested for the disease, please contact us today.
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 What Is A Cataract?
A cataract is a clouding of the lens of the eye. Cataracts prevent light from properly reaching the retina (the back of the eye), and this results in blurry or distorted vision. Cataracts are a major cause of vision loss in the United States. They can occur as the result of age, injury, or disease. They most commonly affect older adults, but they can sometimes afflict infants or younger people. The most common symptoms of cataracts include blurry or cloudy vision, diminished night vision, frequent eyeglass or contact lens prescription changes, and problems with halos and glare. Although cataracts are not painful, they can cause a progressive loss of vision. Luckily, treatment for cataracts is highly effective. While stronger lens prescriptions cannot usually provide a long-term solution for cataracts, cataract surgery is an excellent solution for many people. Cataract surgery removes the natural, clouded lens of the eye and replaces it with a clear, artificial one (known as an intraocular lens, or IOL).
Our office uses the latest techniques and technology in cataract surgery in order to provide better results for our patients. Some of the advantages we offer include:
- Small incision, no stitch surgical technique -- The latest technique for cataract surgery does not involve major incisions or stitches. It is performed under local anesthesia as an outpatient procedure!
- Array Multifocal Lens implants by Allergan -- The Array is a special type of IOL that allows patients to see at all distances (near, far, and intermediate) after cataract surgery. Patients will be less dependent on glasses, and many people will not need glasses at all! Ask us whether the Array is right for you!
- Star Toric Lenses -- These lenses simultaneously correct for astigmatism while removing cataracts. They can be a great option for cataract patients with astigmatism, because they can reduce the patients' reliance on glasses after cataract surgery. Please ask us about Star Toric Lenses today!
If you have cataracts, new advances in treatment can help you to not only restore your vision but also to improve it. The first step is to schedule an appointment, so please contact us today.
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The photo on the left simulates vision impaired by cataracts. The photo on the right simulates the same scene with normal vision. |
People with cataracts, even when wearing glasses, typically have difficulty:
- Seeing in the distance or reading.
- Distinguishing road signs at dusk.
- Recognizing colors.
- Recognizing friends and family at a distance.
- Driving at night.
If you're experiencing any of these symptoms, your day-to-day activities may be affected. Your vision may be blurred or dim, and you may have difficulty threading a needle, shaving or putting on makeup. These symptoms are typical of cataract sufferers, but they are not necessarily related to cataracts. You should consult your eye care practitioner promptly if you have any undiagnosed vision problems.
The onset of symptoms of cataracts is usually very gradual. Patients may begin to have blurred near and/or distance vision and may have trouble seeing at night. Other symptoms include impaired depth perception and increases in color distortion. The lens of the eye may begin to appear cloudy. Patients with these symptoms should see an optometrist or ophthalmologist to have the diagnosis confirmed.
The only treatment for cataracts is surgery to remove the opacified lens and replace it with an artificial intraocular lens (IOL). An IOL remains in place permanently, requires no maintenance and cannot be felt by the patient or noticed by others. Cataract surgery is highly successful and the risks are minimal. More than 2.5 million Americans undergo cataract surgery annually, with an overall success rate of 98 percent.
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Phacoemulsification is the process by which the cataractous lens is fragmented into minute pieces with a high frequency ultrasound probe. The fragments are then gently aspirated out of the eye.
Astigmatism occurs when an abnormal curvature of the cornea prevents light rays entering the eye from converging at a single point on the retina. As a result, vision is distorted. Astigmatism may occur in conjunction with cataracts, but it is a separate vision problem. Approximately one out of five cataract patients have clinically significant pre-existing astigmatism.
A patient with astigmatism will probably have difficulty focusing on objects and notice that they have double vision. Astigmatism is separate from nearsightedness and farsightedness, although it may occur with either of those conditions. A simple eye examination can confirm that someone has astigmatism.
Astigmatism is most accurately measured with a combination of keratometry and corneal topography. Keratometry uses light reflection to measure the steep and flat meridians of the eyeball. Corneal topography provides a topographical map of the corneal surface. Together, these two techniques evaluate the curvature of the cornea to quantify the amount and location of astigmatism.
Other IOLs are designed solely to replace the cataract. The STAAR TORIC IOL is the only lens that includes an optic designed to reduce astigmatism and replace the cataract in a single procedure. It is the first post-cataract lens demonstrated to improve uncorrected visual acuity.
Before the STAAR TORIC IOL, how was astigmatism corrected in cataract surgery patients?
The majority of cataract patients would wear either glasses or contact lenses full-time to treat their preexisting astigmatism. Many would undergo a separate surgical procedure, in which part of the corneal tissue is cut with a blade or removed with a laser, to treat their preexisting astigmatism. In these procedures, multiple incisions or lasers alter the corneal shape. Results can be unpredictable and over- or under-correction or scarring may occur. All of these options have additional costs beyond the cataract surgery procedure.
In some patients, yes. In clinical studies of more than 300 cataract patients with preexisting astigmatism in the United States, 47% had visual acuity of 20/30 or better following implantation of the STAAR TORIC IOL. Those patients would be able to function most if not all of the time without glasses or contact lenses and all could drive a vehicle legally without correction.
Other patients may still need glasses, either to correct a small residual astigmatism or to correct other vision problems. The vast majority of cataract patients are over 65 and therefore may have other vision problems that occur with aging.
Recently cleared for marketing by the United States Food and Drug Administration, the TORICª IOL received the CE Mark of approval for Europe in 1997 and is available in most countries throughout the world.
The STAAR TORIC IOL should be implanted only by an ophthalmic surgeon.
Surgeons use a combination of corneal mapping techniques and traditional keratometry to evaluate a patient's astigmatism. Based on the type of astigmatism and its degree of severity, they determine whether or not the TORIC IOL is appropriate for that patient.
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