Cataract Surgery

Cataract Surgery Promotes Better Quality of Life for Seniors

February 1, 2017 by Anne Arundel Eye Center

According to new research from the National Bureau of Economic Research, Americans over the age of 65 are living longer. Between 1992 and 2008, healthy life expectancy at age 65 increased by 1.8 years, and two treatments contributed: better cardiac care and cataract surgery. Those who opt for cataract surgery also experienced fewer falls, injuries, and disabilities.

“Older people who have eye surgery to remove cataracts and improve their vision also significantly reduce their risk of breaking a hip in a fall, […] those in their early 80s experiencing nearly 30 percent fewer hip fractures in the first year […],” explained author Roni Caryn Rabin, The New York Times. [Read more…]

The Layman’s Guide to Cataract Surgery: What and Why

April 14, 2016 by Anne Arundel Eye Center

If you are like most people, when you hear the word surgery, you immediately cringe. And eye surgery…well, that’s a whole ‘nother level of cringing. But we are here to help alleviate some of those fears when it comes to Cataract Surgery. You see, cataract surgery is the most frequently performed operation in the United States. And with a 98% success rate, it is also has the highest success rate of any surgery practiced today. Of course, you don’t have to just take our word for it.

The WHY of Cataract Surgery

The National Eye Institute predicts that, by the year 2050, 50.2 million Americans will experience cataracts.

As we age, our eyes undergo normal aging. Proteins begin to build up in the lens, forming protein clumps, which can obscure normal vision. These clumps, or deposits, prevent light from passing clearly through the lens, causing images to appear cloudy or blurry, especially at night. But don’t worry; this is just a normal part of the aging process. By age 80 more than half of all Americans will either have a cataract or have undergone cataract treatment.

“We should all be so lucky to develop cataracts in our lifetime, as this would mean we have lived a long and healthy life,” explains board certified ophthalmologist Dr. Samuel Boles, Medical Director of the Anne Arundel Eye Center in Annapolis, Maryland.

If a cataract begins to affect your quality of life, inhibiting you from performing normal daily tasks, such as driving, reading, or watching TV, cataract surgery is usually your best treatment option. Cataracts can also make it difficult for your eye doctor to examine the back of the eye to detect conditions such as age-related macular degeneration or diabetic retinopathy.

The WHAT of Cataract Surgery

In it’s simplest form, cataract surgery involves removing the cloudy lens and replacing it with a crystal clear lens implant, called an intraocular lens (IOL). Under local anesthesia, a small incision is made on in the edge of the cornea and high frequency ultrasound vibrations gently dissolve the natural lens into small pieces. These fragments are removed and replaced with the IOL. The thin, posterior layers of the lens, called the lens capsule, is left behind.

Today, more than a million IOLs are implanted every year in the United States alone. This new plastic intraocular lens is designed to properly focus and function just like your eye’s natural lens, and requires no special maintenance. The IOLs used may be monofocal, fixed-focus, accommodating or multifocal lenses. Your eye doctor will determine which is best for you.

Cataract surgery can be done the traditional way, by hand, or with the assistance of laser technology, such as the LenSx® Laser. Either way, cataract surgery is a painless outpatient procedure, and most patients can resume their normal, everyday function in very little time and can even begin driving a few days after surgery.

To find out if you are ready for cataract surgery, schedule an appointment with your eye doctor – optometrist or ophthalmologist.

A Regional Leader in Cataract Treatment

“The LenSx Laser offers significant improvement of precision, safety, and accuracy for even better results and I recommend this as an option for all of my patients,” says Dr. Boles.

The LenSx® Laser was the first femtosecond laser system to receive FDA approvals for use in cataract surgery. It captures precise, hi-res images of your eye, allowing your eye doctor to map a cataract surgery that’s 100% unique to you. The computer-controlled femtosecond laser then helps your doctor perform the surgery with exacting precision not attainable through traditional surgery.

Schedule a Comprehensive Eye Exam

If you have any questions, please contact Dr. Samuel Boles, Dr. Nicole Kershner, Dr. Kathryn Turner, and the eye care specialists here at AAEC by calling 410-224-2010. AAEC is staffed by caring and knowledgeable professionals who will help guide you on your healing journey.

Can Cataract Surgery Cure Insomnia? New Research Says Yes!

February 16, 2016 by Anne Arundel Eye Center

“Many people – surgeons included – see sight problems and sleepless nights as two separate issues, when in fact…they could be linked.”

The Link between Cataracts and Insomnia

What do cataracts and insomnia have in common? It turns out, much more than you would think.

Several scientists are claiming that cataract surgery could be a cure for insomnia. Because cataracts restrict light from passing clearly through the lens, including blue light, this light never reaches the area of the brain that sets our body clock (suprachaismatic nucleus). It is theorized that this could be a contributing factor to insomnia. To prove this theory, researchers at the Nara Medical University studied 1,037 subjects, 174 of whom cataract surgery, using wristwatch-style sleep trackers to record duration and quality of sleep. The study found that those who already had the surgery slept better and remained asleep for longer than those who had not yet had the surgery.

“There is mounting evidence that cataract surgery really can have an effect on people’s sleep problems and I’ve seen it in my own patients,” says ophthalmic surgeon James Ball from the Optegra Eye Hospital Yorkshire.

About Cataracts

Over the years, our eyes age right along with the rest of our body, resulting in the clouding of the eye’s natural lens – cataracts. Infact, by the age of 80, more than half of all Americans will have a cataract. It’s a natural part of the aging process. Over time, a proteins build up in the lens they begin to form protein clumps, which obscure normal vision. These clumps, or deposits, prevent light from passing clearly through the lens, causing images to appear cloudy or blurry, especially at night.

The good news: cataracts are very treatable and cataract surgery is the most frequently performed operation in the United States. And with a 98% success rate, it is also has the highest success rate of any surgery practiced today.

About Insomnia

Insomnia is a common health problem, affecting 30-40% of adults, according to the American Sleep Association. While most suffer from occasional insomnia, 10% suffers from what is known as chronic insomnia (symptoms at least 3 nights per week). However, because of differentiations in individual sleep patterns and levels of fatigue, insomnia can be difficult to diagnose. It can be mild to severe depending on how often it occurs and for how long.

Signs and Symptoms

There are numerous signs and symptoms of insomnia:

Difficulty falling asleep
Waking during the night
Failure to return to sleep after waking
Waking up too early
Feeling tired even after a long night’s sleep
Irritability
Problems concentrating
Memory issues
Feeling depressed

If you feel you suffer from insomnia, contact your healthcare provider.

About Cataract Surgery

Cataract surgery is a painless outpatient procedure that involves removing the clouded lens and, in most cases, replacing it with a clear, intraocular lens implant (IOL). most patients can resume their normal, everyday function in very little time and can even drive a few days after surgery.

Schedule an Appointment with Dr. Boles

Led by board certified ophthalmologist Dr. Samuel Boles the Anne Arundel Eye Center (AAEC) is a regional leader in the diagnosis and treatment of glaucoma and cataracts. Dr. Boles utilizes the LenSx® Laser, the most technologically advanced option for cataract patients today, to create a cataract surgery that’s 100% unique to each patient. Under local anesthesia, a small incision is made on in the edge of the cornea and high frequency ultrasound vibrations gently disolves the natural lens into small pieces. These fragments are removed and replaced with an IOL.

Anne Arundel Eye Center always welcomes new patients.

If you have any questions, please contact Dr. Boles, Dr. Kathryn Gurganus Turner, Dr. Nicole Kershner, and the eye care specialists here at AAEC by calling 410-224-2010. AAEC is staffed by caring and knowledgeable professionals who will help guide you on your healing journey.

Custom Cataract Surgery in Annapolis Using the LenSx® Laser

September 1, 2015 by Anne Arundel Eye Center

Over the years, our eyes age right along with the rest of our body, resulting in the clouding of the eye’s natural lens – Cataracts. By the age of 80, more than half of all Americans will develop a cataract, but don’t worry. Cataracts are very treatable. In fact, cataract surgery is the most frequently performed surgery in the country and has the highest success rate of any surgery practiced today.

If your cataract begins to affect your quality of life, inhibiting you from performing normal daily tasks, such as driving, reading, or watching TV, cataract surgery may be your best treatment option. Cataract surgery involves removing the cloudy lens and replacing it with a crystal clear lens implant, called an intraocular lens (IOL).

The LenSx® Laser: A Cataract Surgery Even Goldilocks Would Approve

You all know the story. Goldilocks wanders into the home of Three Bears and begins to treat the place like her own. First she tries their porridge, but she’s picky. The first is too hot, the second is too cold, but the third is just right. Then she moves on to the chairs, with similar results, and then the beds. That Goldilocks sure was picky. But we are positive even she would love the LenSx® Laser. It’s the most technologically advanced option for cataract patients today, allowing your ophthalmologist to create a cataract surgery that’s 100% unique to you. It’s just right.

First, the LenSx^® Laser captures precise, hi-res images of your eye and plots a surgery that is unique to you. Next, a bladeless, computer-controlled femtosecond laser helps the surgeon perform your surgery with exacting, individualized precision not possible with traditional cataract surgery methods.

A femtosecond laser is one that emits pulses with durations between a few femtoseconds and hundreds of femtoseconds.

The LenSx® Laser is the most technologically advanced option today, allowing your ophthalmologist to create a cataract surgery that’s 100% unique to you.

“The LenSx Laser offers significant improvement of precision, safety, and accuracy for even better results and I recommend this as an option for all of my patients,” said board certified ophthalmologist Dr. Samuel Boles, Medical Director of the Anne Arundel Eye Center in Annapolis, Maryland.

The LenSx^® Laser was the first femtosecond laser system to receive FDA approvals for use in cataract surgery.

Custom Cataract Surgery in Annapolis Using the LenSx® Laser

The Anne Arundel Eye Center (AAEC) is a regional leader in the diagnosis and treatment of cataracts. Dr. Boles utilizes the LenSx® Laser to create a cataract surgery that’s 100% unique to each patient.

Contact Us

If you have any questions about Cataract Surgery Using the LenSx® Laser or wish to schedule an appointment with Anne Arundel Eye Center (AAEC), please contact Board Certified Ophthalmologist Dr. Samuel Boles, Dr. Kathryn Gurganus Turner, and the eye care specialists here at AAEC by calling 410-224-2010 or Click Here to fill out our contact form.

You can also follow AAEC on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and YouTube as well!

For more eye care advice and information, please take a look at our previous blog posts.

How Long is Recovery After Cataract Surgery? When Can I Return to Work?

June 30, 2015 by Anne Arundel Eye Center

Over the years, proteins build up in the eye and clump together, preventing light from passing clearly through the lens, thus disrupting normal vision. This protein clump is known as a cataract and is a normal part of the aging process. By age 80, more than half of all Americans will develop a cataract. But that doesn’t mean we have to live with cataracts and diminished vision.

When a cataract begins to affect your ability to perform simple, everyday tasks, then cataract surgery can be used to help restore your vision and improve your quality of life.

About Cataract Surgery

Cataract surgery is a painless outpatient procedure that involves the removal and replacement of the clouded lens. Under local anesthesia, your eye doctor will make a small incision on the side of your cornea and use ultrasound vibrations to break the natural lens into small pieces. These fragments are removed and clear, intraocular lens implant (IOL) is put in its place.

When a cataract begins to affect your ability to perform simple, everyday tasks, then cataract surgery can be used to help restore your vision and improve your quality of life.

Cataract surgery is the most frequently performed surgery in the country and has highest success rate of any surgery practiced today. But you want to know when you can return to work.

How Long is Recovery? When Can I Return to Work?

Everyone needs time off to recover after an operation, even a simple outpatient procedure like cataract surgery. However, most patients can resume their normal, everyday function in very little time and can even drive a few days after surgery. In fact, resuming your normal routine sooner rather than later can actually aid your recovery.

How soon you return to work depends on a number of factors, including how quickly you heal, how well you respond to cataract surgery, and the type of work you do. For a more accurate timeframe, consult with your eye doctor – optometrist or ophthalmologist. Recovery can range from a few days to a few weeks depending on your occupation and how well you respond to surgery.

Cataract Surgery with Dr. Samuel Boles

Just because you have a cataract does not mean you need cataract surgery…yet. A consultation with board certified ophthalmologist Dr. Samuel Boles will help guide you through the treatment process and determine when cataract surgery makes the most sense for you.

The Anne Arundel Eye Center (AAEC) is a regional leader in the diagnosis and treatment of cataracts. Dr. Boles utilizes the LenSx® Laser, the most technologically advanced option for cataract patients today, to create a cataract surgery that’s 100% unique to each patient.

If you have any questions about Cataract Surgery or wish to schedule an appointment with Anne Arundel Eye Center (AAEC), please contact Board Certified Ophthalmologist Dr. Samuel Boles, Dr. Kathryn Gurganus Turner, and the eye care specialists here at AAEC by calling 410-224-2010 or by filling out our contact form.

You can also follow AAEC on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube!

For more eye care advice and information, please take a look at our previous blog posts.