PREMIER ISSUE. Everything You Always Wanted to Know About CATARACTS * *but didn t know who to ask.

Transcription

1 PREMIER ISSUE Everything You Always Wanted to Know About CATARACTS * *but didn t know who to ask

2 CONTENTS What is a Cataract? How do I find a Good Cataract Doctor? What Should I Expect When I See the Doctor? Am I Ready for Cataract Surgery? Why There s Never Been a Better Time to Have Cataracts Is That TRUE? Myths About Cataracts Bringing Tomorrow s Technology to TODAY s Patients Issue 1.1 Publisher William B. Rabourn, Jr. Medical Consulting Group, LLC 2808 S. Ingram Mill Rd., Bldg. B Springfield, MO (417) Editor-in-Chief Kerry D. Solomon, M.D. Associate Editor Cheryl Espinosa Art Director Paul Johnson Copyright 2010 Medical Consulting Group, LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written permission of the publisher. Letters to the editor and other unsolicited material are assumed intended for publication and are subject to editorial review and acceptance. Requests to reprint, use, or republish should be made in writing only to Brian Dahl, Medical Consulting Group, LLC, 2808 S. Ingram Mill Rd., Springfield, MO Subscriptions to The ireport are provided free of charge. For assistance with a subscription, contact ireport@medcgroup.com. Letters to the editor and other comments related to the content of The ireport should be directed to Brian Dahl, Medical Consulting Group, LLC, 2808 S. Ingram Mill Rd., Springfield, MO

3 FROM THE EDITOR S DESK Welcome to the premier issue of The ireport, a quarterly magazine devoted to news and information on vision care. You have been selected to receive a complimentary subscription to The ireport. * This premier issue is devoted to exploration of cataracts what they are, common signs of a cataract, and what people should expect to happen when a doctor examines their eyes, as well as when they have surgery. You may be particularly interested in Is That TRUE?, which addresses three myths about cataracts, and I think you may be surprised to learn Why There s Never Been a Better Time to Have Cataracts. I hope you take time to read Tomorrow s Eyecare Technology TODAY, a brief overview of exciting research studies being conducted right here in Charleston. The staff of The ireport invites your feedback on this premier issue. Please ireport@medcgroup.com with your comments, questions, and suggestions. If you send us the names of friends and family that you think would be interested in receiving The ireport, we will be happy to send them a free subscription. Our next issue will focus on presbyopia (loss of reading vision) and how premium lifestyle lens implants are making reading glasses and bifocals obsolete. Kerry D. Solomon, M.D. Editor-in-Chief *Your subscription to The ireport is (and will always be) absolutely FREE. THE ireport / CAROLINA EYECARE PHYSICIANS 3

4 What is a Cataractous Lens CATARACT? F irst, let s talk about what a cataract is not. A cataract is NOT a cloudy film on or near the surface of the eye. It s NOT uncommon, either. What is a cataract? Simply put, a cataract is a clouding of the lens, located inside of the eye. Light enters the eye and passes through its lens, which focuses that light on the retina at the back of the eye. When a lens is clouded, it interferes with how the light passes through it, in much the same way that fingerprints or smears on a window interfere with your view of what is on the other side of the glass. Some people have described their vision with cataracts as looking at the world through waxed paper. What causes this clouding of the lens? Time. If you live long enough, you will almost certainly develop cataracts. They are part of the normal aging process, although a cataract can happen to anyone, even a baby. 4 THE ireport / CAROLINA EYECARE PHYSICIANS

5 Studies suggest accumulated exposure to ultraviolet light causes the natural lens to cloud, and that certain lifestyle choices and relatively common health conditions, like diabetes, hasten cataract development. Could a cataract be the cause of MY vision problem? Perhaps. Cataracts do NOT generally cause pain, discomfort, redness, discharge, or sudden, alarming vision changes that would lead you to seek immediate medical care. Rather, the changes caused by cataracts generally develop so slowly that you don t notice them until they are serious enough to affect your normal lifestyle. Not all cataracts require surgery. However, when you feel that your vision is interfering with your quality of life, and glasses or contacts no longer help, it may be time to act. Ask yourself these questions: Is my life passing by in a blur? Clouded, blurred vision may mean that you have cataracts. How old are these glasses? Reflect back on how often your eyeglass prescription has changed over the years. Have you needed new glasses more often recently? Are your new glasses really doing the trick? Perhaps difficulty reading, particularly in low-light situations, trying to decipher small print on a TV screen, or inability to recognize the face of a friend on the other side of a large room, has spurred you to pick up the phone and make another appointment with your eyecare professional for yet another new prescription for eyeglasses. If the KERRY SOLOMON, M.D. new glasses do not do the trick, it may be time to schedule a cataract evaluation. How s my driving? Cataracts can make driving (particularly driving at night) more difficult, because they change the way the eye handles bright lights. Glare may have become a problem, and the lights of oncoming cars may be making it harder to read road signs. THE ireport / CAROLINA EYECARE PHYSICIANS 5

6 Driving skill can be a sensitive subject, and you may be too close to the situation to see how well (or poorly) you are driving. Your passengers may be more aware of your close calls than you are ask them if they ve noticed a change in your ability to drive. Others may have already told you that they don t feel safe, or that they fear for your safety, when you are behind the wheel. Listen to them. How s my golf (or tennis) game? It s not uncommon for someone with cataracts to complain that they can no longer follow the progress of their golf ball that it just blends in with the sky or that they are having trouble keeping an eye on their tennis ball. If are you losing track of your ball after you serve or tee off and that s teeing you off, you may have a cataract. Are those roses REALLY pink? A cataract can make vibrant colors look dull or washed out. Because this change occurs so gradually, you may not realize that the colors of various articles of clothing clash, that your shoes or socks don t match, or that those pink roses are actually red. Look around. If your world looks more pastel than it did a few years ago, a cataract (rather than the latest fashion trend) may be responsible. Is my world a smaller place now? So, let s say that you are indeed experiencing some of these difficulties. If a vision problem has made a favorite activity (golf, tennis, playing cards, reading, quilting, etc.) more frustrating than pleasurable, you are more likely to quit doing it if you haven t already. With every activity and every hobby you reluctantly leave behind, your world becomes a little smaller. Staying active is an important part of maintaining a healthy body and mental attitude your keys to remaining independent. If you suspect you have a cataract, why not pick up the phone and schedule a cataract evaluation? If the problem is a cataract, appropriate treatment can help you expand your world again. Even if you think you do not have a cataract, you should seek medical attention if you are having troublesome eye symptoms. It s time to see your eye doctor. 6 THE ireport / CAROLINA EYECARE PHYSICIANS

7 How do I find a GOOD CATARACT DOCTOR? I t s not all that difficult to find a good cataract doctor, but these are YOUR eyes, YOUR vision, YOUR life so you want the BEST cataract surgeon you can find! Ask friends and family You probably know people who have had cataract surgery. Ask them who performed their procedures and whether they would recommend that surgeon. Were they pleased with the way they were treated by the surgeon and his (or her) staff? Are they happy with their results? Ask an eye care professional Ask the eyecare professionals in your area which cataract surgeons they recommend. While you are at it, ask for the name of their go to cataract surgeon the one they rely on to take care of an unusual or difficult case, or to work with a patient who has developed a complication after cataract surgery. Practice makes perfect Well, not perfect, perhaps, but a cataract surgeon who has had more opportunity to perfect his or her technique is likely to be more skilled than a surgeon who has had less practice. More skill means better outcomes, and that s what you want, so ask how many cataracts the surgeon has removed. The more the better, but the number should be in the thousands. Ask about technology Technological advances have given cataract patients many options that can affect vision quality after surgery. Some surgeons are more comfortable with new technology than others. Make sure that you have access to these options by selecting a surgeon who has experience with premium lifestyle replacement lens implants that could reduce your dependence on reading glasses or bifocals. It s not unusual for one or two names to surface more often than others. When you settle on one, it s time to make the call to schedule a cataract consultation. The next issue of will focus on what premium lifestyle replacement lens technology can do for YOUR focus! The ireport THE ireport / CAROLINA EYECARE PHYSICIANS 7

8 WHAT SHOULD I EXPECT when I see the Doctor? You ve probably never had an eye exam that s this thorough! The cataract consultation I t generally takes about two hours for the doctor, usually assisted by specially trained technicians, to gather all of the data needed and discuss the results and options with you and family members. You will be asked what medicines you are taking, whether you have any allergies, the details of your medical history, as well as the history of your eyes health. Your evaluation will include a dilated eye exam the type that makes your eye sensitive to light for a few hours. Some people are able to drive themselves home, but many bring a driver with them. After your eyes are dilated, your doctor may use a variety of hightech equipment, such as a slit lamp microscope and OCT (Optical Coherence Tomography), to get a good view of the eye s retina and optic nerve. He (or she) will also perform what s called refraction, the same test used to determine your eyeglass prescription and your best possible vision under a variety of lighting conditions. He ll take computerized measurements 8 THE ireport / CAROLINA EYECARE PHYSICIANS

9 of your cornea (the clear covering of the front of your eye). Cataract surgery involves replacing the eye s clouded natural lens with a crystal clear lens implant, and your cataract evaluation includes testing and measurements that ensure that the replacement lens is a good fit for your eye. Your doctor will review all of this information and then meet with you to discuss your treatment options. If he recommends surgery, you and the doctor will also review your replacement lens options and answer all of your questions. If you decide to have surgery, you will probably meet with the member of the team who coordinates scheduling surgery and follow-up appointments. This individual can also answer many of your questions. Then you will be given the information you need to prepare for the day of surgery, as well as instructions for caring for yourself after surgery. This routine may vary slightly from office to office, but one thing is consistent: a good cataract surgeon will make sure you have ample opportunity to ask questions and get the answers you need to make a good decision. Don t wait. If you suspect that you have a cataract, it s a good idea to schedule a cataract consultation, even if you don t feel quite ready for surgery yet. Why? Simply being examined for cataracts can help protect the health of your vision. Your evaluation may detect more than cataracts. Eye diseases like glaucoma and macular degeneration are silent, meaning that they don t cause pain or alarming symptoms that C ORNEAL T OPOGRAPHY would prompt you to seek medical attention. They often go untreated because people don t realize there is a problem until they begin to lose vision vision that they probably won t be able to get back. If you have developed glaucoma or macular degeneration since your last eye exam, your cataract evaluation may give you the heads-up you need to get treatment before these silent thieves steal your vision. If you have GLAUCOMA... If you have controlled or moderately-uncontrolled glaucoma, you now have one more very important reason to be checked for cataracts. Recent research suggests that removing a cataract may lower pressure within that eye and reduce the need for the eye drop medication used to treat glaucoma. THE ireport / CAROLINA EYECARE PHYSICIANS 9

10 Am I ready for cataract surgery? These are YOUR eyes... This is YOUR decision. 10 THE ireport / CAROLINA EYECARE PHYSICIANS

11 So, you ve been thoroughly evaluated and the doctor confirms that you do indeed have a cataract. Does this mean that you should have surgery right away? Not necessarily. The doctor probably asked you how cataracts have affected your lifestyle and your ability to remain active and engaged with what s going on around you. He (or she) wants you to think about the extent to which cataracts have changed your life because you are the only one who can say whether these changes are acceptable. Do you want to travel? Will you have the vision you need to carry out your plans? Has your physical or mental health deteriorated because of the unwelcome changes cataracts have brought to your life? How uncomfortable does this situation make you? Are you fed up with reading glasses and bifocals? The desire to reduce dependence on glasses is not in itself a good reason to have cataract surgery. For many people, however, cataract surgery presents an opportunity to take advantage of new technology that may accomplish that goal. How much more time are you willing to spend living with deteriorating vision? Tick-tock. If you don t feel ready for surgery just yet, your doctor can still help you to improve or maintain your vision by changing your eyeglass prescription. In fact, some people who have cataracts do quite well with stronger glasses and never feel the need for surgery. Some things to consider Your lifestyle depends on having the good vision you need to stay active and continue participating in activities you enjoy. How many activities have you given up? Is there less joy in your life? Are you planning an active retirement? Or are you postponing retirement? THE MORE YOU KNOW, THE BETTER YOU WILL FEEL It s perfectly natural to be nervous about undergoing any type of surgery, particularly when it involves your eyes. However, many people find that being evaluated for cataracts and having the opportunity to get answers to all of their questions can be quite helpful in lessening this anxiety. THE ireport / CAROLINA EYECARE PHYSICIANS 11

12 WHY There Has Never Been a Better Time to Have Cataracts Cataract surgery is nothing new Cataracts have been a fact of life throughout recorded history. The first known written references to cataracts appeared nearly 2,000 years ago. The earliest description we have of attempts to cure a cataract is from India in the 6th century B.C. Archeologists working in Babylonia, Greece and Egypt have found bronze instruments that they believe were used for cataract surgery. These crude, dangerous and ineffective ancient techniques give us some indication of how desperate physicians and their patients were to regain vision lost to cataracts. Even as recently as a generation or so ago, surgery to remove a cataract required a large (10 12 mm) incision, a hospital stay, and a lengthy recovery period. The clouded lens had been removed, so vision was clear, but without a lens, it was unfocused. As a result, most patients spent their remaining years wearing special contact lenses or glasses with thick coke-bottle lenses. It s not surprising that many people postponed cataract surgery as long as possible, or avoided it altogether. 12 THE ireport / CAROLINA EYECARE PHYSICIANS

13 but this isn t your grandparents cataract surgery An exciting revolution in cataract surgery began in 1967, with the introduction of a technique that uses ultrasonic waves to break up the cataract so it could be removed without making a large incision. When this change became widely available, it made the extended hospital stay unnecessary and shortened recovery time. Artificial replacement lenses became widely available. When rolled up, the lens could be implanted through the same small (2 3 mm) incision through which the cataract had been removed. Once in the eye, the lens could unfurl and return to its normal shape. Cataract Surgery TODAY In the 40 or so years since then, a great deal of research has gone into refining the instruments, the ultrasonic equipment, the replacement lens implants, and the surgical techniques involved in modern cataract surgery. As a result, a cataract patient can expect better results than even five years ago. Approximately 3 million cataracts will be removed this year in the United States alone. The vast majority of these procedures will be performed on an outpatient basis, often in state-of-the-art surgery facilities designed specifically for eye surgery. The surgeons who perform these procedures will be using a high-magnification microscope and very small instruments. The incision will be small, too so small, in fact, that stitches are rarely necessary. The procedure will be quite comfortable, because the eye will be numbed by anesthetic drops, and it will be over and done before you know it. Many of these patients will experience an almost immediate improvement in their vision. An hour or two after the procedure, they will walk out of the surgery center to be driven home, where they will recover very quickly. It s safe to say that there has never been a better time to have cataracts! Now, cloudy vision has a silver lining Coke-bottle cataract glasses have been obsolete for some time now. Thanks to new technology, reading glasses and bifocals may someday be considered dinosaurs, too. New-generation replacement lens implants make it possible to correct the presbyopia (loss of close vision) that makes reading glasses a must-have item for most of us after age 40 or so. Cataract patients who opt for an advanced technology replacement lens have a chance to recapture a full range of seamless, more youthful vision for seeing life up-close, far away, and everywhere in-between! The next issue of The ireport will focus on what this amazing technology can do for YOUR focus! Watch for your copy in the mail. THE ireport / CAROLINA EYECARE PHYSICIANS 13

14 IS THAT TRUE? Myths About Cataracts The longer you wait, the harder it will be to remove it. This is SO not true. If you decide to postpone surgery now, you can always change your mind later...no harm, no foul. Of course, the longer you wait, the longer you ll have cloudy vision, but waiting will not make your cataract more difficult to remove. You ve got to wait until it s ripe enough to remove or until the doctor says it s time. When it comes to deciding when it s time for surgery, the ball is in your court, not the doctor s. He (or she) can give you an expert opinion and good advice, but your cataract will be ripe when you say it is. That s because you are the only one who can really see what it s like to live with your cataracts. The eye drop cure The Internet has provided a largely unregulated marketplace for those who sell ineffective treatments for everything from baldness to cataracts. The sellers claims are impressive: eye drops that supposedly dissolve cataracts within several months. No prescription necessary just CLICK HERE and enter your credit card number. No matter how sophisticated these claims may seem, a cataract (the clouding of the eye s natural lens) cannot be treated with eye drops of any type because it is situated within the eye, behind the iris and the pupil not on or near the surface of the eye. 14 THE ireport / CAROLINA EYECARE PHYSICIANS

15 Bringing Tomorrow s Technology to TODAY s Patients R esearch that will shape the next generation of cataract surgery and treatments for other eyerelated problems is taking place right now in the Lowcountry! Dr. Kerry Solomon, Director of Carolina Eyecare Research Institute, tells of its commitment to advancing the field of ophthalmology with progressive, groundbreaking studies. The things we learn from these studies improve not only our patients quality of life here in Charleston and the Lowcountry, but also around the world, he says. Our goal is to bring tomorrow s technology to today s patients. One study currently taking place at Carolina Eyecare Research Institute involves a laser system that may someday replace current ultrasound technology used to perform cataract surgery. Another study evaluates new eye drops that may speed healing after cataract surgery. Cataract patients enrolled in these studies are indeed benefitting from tomorrow s technology today. Other studies currently underway focus on improved LASIK technology and new treatments for glaucoma and dry eye. If you are interested in learning more about any of these ongoing studies, or to learn if you are a candidate, visit Dr. Solomon s website ( and click on the Research Institute tab. Are you a candidate for one of the clinical trials taking place at Carolina Eyecare Research Institute? Ask Dr. Helga Sandovol at (843) , or submit your name and phone number by using the contact form on the Institute s web page. THE ireport / CAROLINA EYECARE PHYSICIANS 15

16 Check it Out! Do you want to learn more about the symptoms of cataracts? Visit and take the Cataract Quiz. While you are visiting the website, you may want to explore other topics: R ead what patients who have had cataract surgery have to say View the cataract video Take the Cataract Photo Tour Learn about other common eye problems Use the Contact Us form to request more information Join the Twitter conversation Coming in the Next Issue This issue of The i Report touches only briefly on the subject of new replacement lens technology that may make reading glasses and bifocals obsolete. That s because our next issue is all about the premium lifestyle replacement lens implants that make it possible to correct presbyopia and cataracts with one procedure. Watch for your copy in the mail! 1280 Johnnie Dodds Blvd., Ste 100 East Cooper Medical Arts Center Mt. Pleasant, SC The Chicago Tribune recently featured Dr. Solomon in an article, The N ext Frontier in Cataracts. Visit his website to read it! 2060 Charlie Hall Blvd., Suite 201 Charleston, SC Tricom Street North Charleston, SC (843) 881-EYES (3937) Medical Consulting Group, L.L.C.