What are the symptoms of a cataract?
Cataract symptoms include fading of colors, particularly the inability to see blues and purples, blurred vision, cloudiness, halos around lights, reduced vision in bright light, double vision in one eye, need for brighter light when reading, poor night vision, and frequent eyeglass prescription changes.

About 1/2 of all Americans 65 to 74 years old have them, and about 70% over the age of 75 have them. Most people with cataracts have them in both eyes although they may develop at different rates.

How are cataracts diagnosed?
A routine complete eye exam is all that is needed. Your pupils should be dilated so the doctor can see the extent of the cataract as well as check for other problems inside the eye such as glaucoma or macular degeneration.

How are cataracts treated?
Initially, a change in your glasses prescription will suffice to improve your vision. Gradually this will no longer be effective and surgical removal is the only alternative. Cataract removal is recommended when your level of vision interferes with your lifestyle and ability to function at normal daily activities. Rarely, cataract removal is necessary in order to treat other ocular conditions.

What should I know about cataract surgery?
It is important for every patient to fully understand the indications for surgery as well as the risks and alternatives to the procedure. This process is called "informed consent," and is an important part of any surgical procedure. Dr. Ho and his staff will discuss the operation with you in detail and explain how to prepare for the surgery. Although uncommon, complications from cataract surgery can occur (as is true of any surgical procedure).

Over 95% of cataract surgeries improve vision, but a small number of patients may have problems. Infection, bleeding, and swelling or detachment of the retina are some of the more serious complications that may affect your vision. It is important for patients to understand who will be doing their surgery, what type of procedure will they receive, and who will provide their postoperative care.

Dr. Ho believes the operating surgeon has a responsibility to provide the postoperative care. He is dedicated to maintaining the highest quality surgery. Utilizing state of the art equipment and over 4000 cases of surgical experience. Most people have the surgery as an outpatient and require only local anesthesia. You will need someone to accompany you to the surgery center and take you home. While at the ambulatory surgery center, the outpatient nurses will prepare the eye for surgery with eye drops and take you to the operating room.

The procedure takes about 15 minutes and is painless. Pain following surgery is rare and is generally limited to a mild scratchy feeling or light sensitivity for a few days. A detailed list of postoperative instructions will be reviewed and sent home with you after your surgery.

How is the lens removed?
Under an operating microscope, a small incision is made in the eye. A special instrument uses ultrasonic vibrations to break up the lens into small pieces, which are then suctioned out of the eye. A clear membrane surrounds the cataract (called the posterior capsule) and is left in place to support the artificial lens.

A plastic artificial lens is placed in the eye to replace the natural lens that was removed. A popular misconception is that you can remove a cataract with a laser or eye drops. Surgery remains the only way to remove a cataract. A laser is occasionally used months or years after the original cataract operation if the posterior capsule becomes cloudy and blurs your vision. A clear opening can be made painlessly in the center of the membrane with the laser to restore normal sight.

 How Do I decide to have surgery?
Most people have plenty of time to decide about cataract surgery. Your doctor cannot make that decision for you, but talking with your doctor can help you understand and make an informed decision. Explain to Dr. Ho the difficulties you are having with your vision so you can more fully understand how cataract surgery could help you.