Cataract and Glaucoma Specialist
Some patients find that at the end of the year they have funds left in their FSA accounts and that money is “use it or lose it”. Instead of writing it off as a loss, why not make an appointment before then and see if you are a candidate for LenSx® Laser Assisted Cataract Surgery and/or a Multifocal lens? Anne Arundel Eye Center is open and seeing patients in the office while observing COVID-19 procedures for your safety.
You may notice that your bleach is not working anymore, and your white clothing is not as bright as it once was. Your glasses are always dirty no matter how many times you wipe them off. The characters on the television are hard to make out, and headlights on the road at night wash out your vision.
What you do not notice is that you no longer read the paper, and you move through your surroundings slower. You stop enjoying activities that require precision; crossword puzzles, bird watching, and sewing.
You have cataracts.
As we age, our eyes undergo natural wear and tear, resulting in the clouding of the eye’s natural lens, known as cataracts. This is a normal part of the aging process. However, when the symptoms of a cataract persist and become bothersome, cataract surgery can often be used to help improve vision. This involves removing the cloudy lens and, in most cases, replacing it with a crystal clear, intraocular lens implant (IOL).
Cataract surgery has the highest success rate of any surgery practiced today. Still, many patients develop what is known as Posterior Capsule Opacification (PCO), or an After Cataract. While PCO rates have declined in recent years, as a result of advances in surgical techniques and intraocular lens materials, PCO is common and is essentially a normal side effect of successful cataract surgery.
Posterior Capsule Opacification can develop over the clear posterior capsule anywhere from a few months to a few years after cataract surgery. PCO results from the growth and abnormal proliferation of lens epithelial cells (LECs) on the capsule after cataract surgery. Eventually, these cells migrate to the center of the posterior capsule, causing blurred or blurry vision.
A simple examination should be able to diagnose your issue and, if the problem is found to be Posterior Capsule Opacification, YAG laser capsulotomy can be used to rectify the situation. This procedure involves a few simple steps:
YAG laser capsulotomy takes only a few minutes and is painless. Patients may resume normal activities immediately following the procedure. However, as with any eye procedure, if your vision does not improve or if it worsens, call your Annapolis eye doctor immediately. Any sudden change in your vision is a serious medical condition that requires prompt medical attention from your optometrist or ophthalmologist.
If you have any questions about Posterior Capsule Opacification Treatment in Annapolis, or wish to schedule an appointment with Anne Arundel Eye Center, please contact Dr. Boles, Dr. Nicole Regis, Dr. Kathryn Turner and the eye care specialists here at AAEC by calling 410-224-2010 or visiting AnneArundelEyeCenter.com today.
For more eye care advice and information, please take a look at our previous blog posts.
With the days getting shorter, have you started to notice changes to your vision while driving at night? If so, this could be an early warning sign of cataracts.
As you age, proteins begin to build up and clump together in the eye’s lens, preventing light from passing clearly through the lens and obscuring vision. These protein deposits are known as cataracts and are a normal part of the aging process. Currently, more than 22 million Americans age 40 and older, and half of all Americans over the age of 80 are affected by cataracts, according to the National Eye Institute (NEI).
By the year 2050, the National Eye Institute (NEI) predicts that more than 50.2 million Americans will develop cataracts. So, it should come as no surprise that cataract surgery is one of the most commonly performed procedure across the country. Still, there is a lot that the general public does not know about cataract surgery – particularly when it comes to post-op care.
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