CATARACT TREATMENT STEPS

Preparing the Eye

This outpatient procedure typically lasts 15 minutes per eye. Eye drop anesthetics create a pain free procedure. The eye is opened with a key-hole incision in the corneal periphery that heals without a suture.

Removing the Lens

The fibrous capsule behind the pupil is opened in a circular manner and the eye's now opaque lens core is removed. The capsule then functions as supporting tissue for the implanted artificial lens. Each patient receives a custom-made artificial lens implant that has lifetime durability.

Implanting the Artificial Lens

The surgeon inserts the injector holding the artificial lens through the key-hole incision into the eye. The lens unfolds and is positioned into the vacant lens capsule. It can remain in the eye for a lifetime and can be either monofocal or multifocal. Since a monofocal lens has only one focal point, the patient is still dependent on glasses after the operation. A multifocal lens, on the other hand, has several focal points. It enables sharp vision at different distances and thus a life without glasses. The procedure restores clear vision and corrects for presbyopia and near-, farsightedness and astigmatism.

The advantages of multifocal lenses compared to monofocal lenses

The cataract treatment can be carried out with mono-or multifocal lenses. Multifocal lenses have multiple focal points. The choice of a multifocal lens has one distinct advantage: after the cataract treatment the patient achieves a good vision up close and in the distance, without needing glasses. In contrast, monofocal lenses only offer one focal point and only improve the vision in either the distance or close up. You will therefore not become completely independent of glasses if you choose the monofocal lens.

Additional technical details about the multifocal lenses

The optics of the multifocal lenses used by EuroEyes are manufactured using the patented SMP technology: a special procedure that reduces a flare phenomena, that always occur in multifocal lenses, to an absolute minimum. The positive effect is less glare and less halos (light rims). Furthermore, the aspheric optics ensure an enhanced image quality and improved contrast sensitivity under reduced light conditions, such as at dusk or at night.

To protect the sensitive retina, the lenses are fitted with an optional light protection filter in addition to a UV filter. In ophthalmology, this protection is used particularly for the prevention of macular degeneration (AMD) or for patients who are already affected by AMD.

1. Personal, Non-binding Consultation:

• All relevant eye parameters are measured
• We determine what the best method of treatment is for your eyes
• Examine your eyes to make sure you are a suitable candidate for the treatment

2. A Thorough Medical Preliminary Examination

• The examination usually lasts about two hours
• Intensive ophthalmic preliminary examination and measurement of your eyes
• Our specialists in ophthalmology will explain every detail about the treatment
• Before this preliminary examination you must not have worn soft contact lenses for one week and hard contact lenses for two weeks
• Please note that after the examination you will not be safe driving a vehicle–neither car, nor motorcycle or bicycle. We therefore recommend that you take a cab or public transportation
• At the examination you will receive a after-care set for the days after your treatment. The medication and content will be explained in detail by our staff

3. On the Day of the Treatment

• We recommend that you wear comfortable clothes on the day of treatment
• You can eat and drink normally on the treatment day, but please do not smoke
• For hygiene reasons, it is also important that you wash your face thoroughly prior to treatment, completely remove makeup, and avoid perfume
• Outpatient surgery, anesthetic eye drops, no bandage, and sunglasses are recommended
• The total duration of the laser eye treatment for both eyes: approximately 25 minutes
• You are not allowed to drive a vehicle after the procedure
• The operated eye is protected until the next day by an eye bandage/li>
• By the way: if both eyes are involved, we usually treat them on two consecutive days.

4. After Your Cataract Treatment

• Do not rub your eyes in the days after treatment
• Antibiotic eye drops are to be used in the first weeks
• Artificial tear eye drops to be used as required
• Resume work after 2 – 4 days as needed
• No sporting activities for 3 days
• No swimming or sauna for 2 weeks
• Examinations after 1 day – 1 week – 1 to 3 months
• Driving can be resumed after the doctor's permission

THE CAUSES OF CATARACTS

The clouding is of the natural lens is caused by degeneration of the lens proteins due to light exposure and age-related changes in the metabolism, and leads to a progressive deterioration of vision. With cataracts, the light entering the eye can hardly pass through the lens. This results in a scattered light and an unsharp image on the retina. The outside world is perceived through a veil: only unclear and blurred, color and contrast sensitivity decreases significantly.

Cataract: one of the world's most common eye diseases

The cataract treatment is performed by a outpatient surgical replacement of the clouded natural lens, that is then replaced with a highly advanced artificial lens (IOL). With worldwide nearly 15 million procedures each year, the lens exchange is the most successful and the most common surgery in ophthalmology.

EuroEyes has long-term experience with cataract treatments

With Dr. Jørn Jørgensen, EuroEyes is led by a pioneer in the field of cataract surgery. In 1990 he was the first eye surgeon in Hamburg to perform outpatient cataract surgeries with a new micro-incision technique (phacoemulsification). Less than a year later, Dr. Jørgensen introduced the "no-stitch surgery". Thus, EuroEyes has a unique and unmatched experience in the field of cataract treatments.

We have successfully performed several thousand cataract surgeries in our EuroEyes clinics.