A cataract is a vision impairment resulting from a cloudiness of the lens in the eye that prevents light from being focused clearly. Most people have some clouding of their lenses by age 60.

Surgery is the only treatment option for cataracts and is one of the most commonly performed surgical procedures in the United States. During surgery, your cloudy lens is removed and an intraocular lens (IOL) is implanted and becomes a permanent part of your eye. Columbia Eye Clinic offers the latest advancements in lens implants and surgical procedure options to create a custom experience for every cataract patient.

There are many fantastic IOL options to correct nearsightedness, fiarsghtedness, astigmatism, and presbyopia–age-related inability to focus at near distances—that can reduce or eliminate your dependence on glasses, even if you have had them for most of your life. Your surgeon will recommend a lens during your consultation visit based on your particular visual needs, including your hobbies, activities, lifestyle, and pre-existing eye conditions such as glaucoma or macular degeneration.

Patients who choose a monofocal IOL may need glasses for some or all distances. Monofocal IOLs are set to provide your best uncorrected vision at one focal point. Many people who choose a monofocal IOL have it set it for distance vision and use reading glasses for near activities. On the other hand, a person whose IOLs are set to correct near vision would need glasses to see distant objects clearly.

Monofocal IOLs can also be set for monovision, which is distance vision in one eye and near vision in the other eye. If you are considering monovision, your ophthalmologist may suggest trying this technique with contact lenses first to see how well you can adapt. If you require crisp, detailed vision, monovision may not be the best approach for you.

Multifocal IOLs utilize advanced technology and offer a series of focal zones or rings built into the IOL. Depending on where light focuses through the zones, you may be able to see distance, intermediate and near objects clearly. The ability to read and perform other tasks without glasses varies from person to person but it is generally best when multifocal IOLs are placed in both eyes.

Astigmatism is an imperfection in the curvature of your cornea. Laser cataract surgery enables the physician to correct certain amounts of regular astigmatism to reduce your need for glasses. Astigmatism correcting IOLs can also be used to help decrease the dependence upon glasses. Monofocal IOLs that correct astigmatism allow you to see without glasses at one distance. With this option, you may still rely on glasses for some activities. Some multifocal IOLs can also correct astigmatism.

Most insurance, including Medicare, cover the traditional procedure after deductibles and copays/coinsurances are met.  You may pay out of pocket for laser cataract surgery and for a premium lens.

Contact us at (803) 779-3070 to schedule an appointment for a cataract consultation at any of our four conveniently located offices.

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Why do I have cataracts? Patients often wonder why their vision has become cloudy, their eyes are sensitive to light, they have difficulty seeing at night, see faded colors, and their glasses don’t seem to work anymore. Over your lifetime, the natural lenses inside your eyes become cloudy and prevent light from being focused clearly. It may seem like these changes in your vision happened overnight, but because cataracts form gradually, you probably didn’t notice them.

Cataracts are part of the natural aging process and most people have some clouding of their lenses by age 60. Cataracts can develop more quickly in patients with uncontrolled diabetes, who have had a trauma to the eye, or have used oral or topical steroids for extended periods of time.

Cataract surgery to remove your clouded natural lens and replace it with a lens implant is one of the most commonly performed surgical procedures in the United States. You should have very little pain after surgery. You will need to observe a few precautions during the first week or so after surgery to avoid developing an infection or sustaining an injury to your eye while it heals, but should be able to resume most of your normal activities within a day or two. In most cases, your eye should be completely healed and your recovery complete in about a month.

Cataract surgery has been shown to significantly improve vision and quality of life for patients who undergo the procedure. Many patients are able to reduce or eliminate their dependence on glasses and contacts after cataract surgery. We offer a host of the latest advancements in lens implants and surgical procedure options to create a custom experience for you.

Call (803) 779-3070 to schedule a cataract consultation at our conveniently located Downtown Columbia location.

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The 14 physicians and more than 100 staff of Columbia Eye Clinic welcome Danlin Jenny Fuller, M.D. to the practice.  Dr. Fuller specializes in ophthalmic and cataract surgery and comprehensive ophthalmology.  Her clinical interest is in comprehensive eye care including cataracts and laser assisted cataract surgery, glaucoma diagnosis and treatment, dry eye management, and eyelid surgery.  She sees patients at Columbia Eye Clinic’s three conveniently located offices in downtown Columbia, Northeast Columbia and Lexington.

Dr. Fuller completed her Residency at Augusta University Medical Center, Augusta, GA.  She earned her M.D. from Jefferson College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA and completed her Internship at The Reading Hospital and Medical Center, Reading, PA.  She graduated from Pennsylvania State University, University City, PA with a B.S.  She is a member of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, American Medical Association, and American Society of Cataract & Refractive Surgery.

Dr. Fuller enjoys scuba diving, traveling, rock climbing, photography and is a certified yoga instructor.  She is fluent in Mandarin Chinese.

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In the procedure, a laser is used to reshape the cornea — the clear, round dome at the front of the eye– to improve the way the eye focuses light rays onto the retina at the back of the eye.

For people who are nearsighted, LASIK is used to flatten a cornea that is too steep. Farsighted people will have LASIK to achieve a steeper cornea. LASIK can also correct astigmatism by shaping an irregular cornea into a more normal shape.

More than 90 percent of people who have LASIK perform most of their everyday tasks without glasses or contact lenses. Your doctor will consider your vision needs for work and leisure activities to determine if LASIK is right for you.

Some patients may need a second enhancement surgery or might need to wear glasses for certain activities, such as reading or driving at night.

LenSx is a bladeless surgical laser used for cataract and premium lens procedures. A cataract is a clouding of the lens inside the eye that occurs naturally with age. The LenSx laser can be used rather than a hand-held blade to make incisions as well as opening the front of the cataract and softening it prior to its removal.

The LenSx can also be used to correct astigmatism during premium lens procedures and cataract surgery. Astigmatism is an irregularity in the shape of the cornea that causes both near and distance objects appear blurry or distorted without correction by glasses or contact lenses.   The laser is used to make incisions into the cornea which are placed at the exact location of the astigmatism.

The benefits of laser surgery include:

• The laser provides an extremely detailed 3-D image of the eye. Since each eye is different with regards to its structures, the surgeon can use the measurements the laser provides to plan your surgery much more precisely.
• The laser automates challenging steps, allowing precise, repeatable incisions through an image-guided system.
• The laser enables better centering of the intraocular lens which is a significant factor in determining final visual outcomes.
• The laser procedure causes less inflammation to the eye, so patients heal more quickly and experience improved visual acuity more quickly than with traditional cataract surgery.
• The laser enables the physician to simultaneously correct certain amounts of regular astigmatism to reduce your need for glasses.

Cataract surgery is one of the most commonly performed surgical procedures in the United States and has been shown to significantly improve vision and quality of life for patients who undergo the procedure.

The post What’s the difference between LenSx and LASIK? appeared first on Columbia Eye.

Years ago if you had cataract surgery, the natural cloudy lens was removed and there was nothing to replace it. People had to wear very thick eyeglasses or special contact lenses to be able to see clearly after cataract surgery. Now, we have a replacement for the eye’s natural lenses called intraocular lenses (IOLs). There are several types of lens implants available to help reduce or eliminate your dependence on glasses.

So why do some people still require glasses after cataract surgery while others do not?

There are many factors that determine if you will continue to wear full time glasses, part time glasses such as reading glasses, or none at all. These factors include the overall health of the eye, the amount of astigmatism,  your current eyeglass prescription, and your visual needs.

Patients who have cataract surgery with a monofocal IOL may need glasses for some or all distances. Monofocal IOLs have been used for several decades and are set to provide your best uncorrected vision at one focal point. Many people who choose a monofocal IOL have it set it for distance vision and use reading glasses for near activities. On the other hand, a person whose IOLs are set to correct near vision would need glasses to see distant objects clearly.

Monofocal IOLs can also be set for monovision, which is distance vision in one eye and near vision in the other eye. If you are considering monovision, your ophthalmologist may suggest trying this technique with contact lenses first to see how well you can adapt. If you require crisp, detailed vision, monovision may not be the best approach for you.

Astigmatism is an imperfection in the curvature of your cornea. Astigmatism correcting IOLs can also be used to help decrease the dependence upon glasses. These IOLs are monofocal IOLs that correct astigmatism so you can see without glasses at one distance.  You may still rely on glasses for some activities.

Multifocal IOLs utilize advanced technology and offer a series of focal zones or rings built into the IOL. Depending on where light focuses through the zones, you may be able to see distance, intermediate and near objects clearly. The ability to read and perform other tasks without glasses varies from person to person but it is generally best when multifocal IOLs are placed in both eyes.

Regardless of the type of lens you select, you may still need to rely on glasses some of the time, but if correctly selected, your IOLs can greatly reduce your dependence on glasses. Discuss your options with your ophthalmologist to determine the IOL that best suits your vision needs and lifestyle.

The post Why do some people need glasses after cataract surgery? appeared first on Columbia Eye.

A cataract is a clouding of the eye’s natural lens that typically occurs with age. Cataracts usually form slowly over a long period of time. Some say that their vision with cataracts is similar to looking through a dirty car windshield. If your vision has become blurry, cloudy, or if your glasses don’t seem to work like they used to, you may be developing a cataract. You may also have difficulty driving at night or experience sensitivity to sunlight or bright lights. You may notice you need more light to read or see halos around lights.

Surgery is the only way to remove cataracts and restore vision. Although traditional cataract surgery is very effective and successful, when considering your surgical options, laser-assisted cataract surgery can offer a host of benefits over the traditional procedure and can help you experience your best possible outcome.

The post How do cataracts affect my vision? appeared first on Columbia Eye.

Although traditional cataract surgery is very effective and successful, when considering your surgical options, laser cataract surgery can offer a host of benefits over traditional procedures and can help you experience the best possible long term vision.  Lasers have been used for decades to perform vision correction, and were approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2011 for cataract surgery.  Laser surgery allows the surgeon to perform certain key steps within cataract surgery with a laser rather than a hand-held blade.

The benefits of laser surgery include:

• The laser provides an extremely detailed 3-D image of the eye. Since each eye is different with regards to its structures, the surgeon can use the measurements the laser provides to plan your surgery much more precisely.
• The exacting accuracy of the laser increases the likelihood that the incision will be self-sealing at the end of the procedure, reducing the need for sutures and reducing the risk of infection.
• The laser enables better centering of the intraocular lens which is a significant factor in determining final visual outcomes.
• The laser procedure causes less inflammation to the eye, so patients heal more quickly and experience improved visual acuity more quickly than with traditional cataract surgery.
• The laser enables the physician to simultaneously correct certain amounts of regular astigmatism to reduce your need for glasses.

If you think it may be time for cataract surgery, we offer a host of the latest advancements in lens implants and surgical procedure options to create a custom experience for every cataract patient, including the unparalleled precision and accuracy of the LenSx femtosecond laser. Since 2013, we have performed close to 2,000 cataract procedures with the LenSx in our out -patient ambulatory surgery center, where our focus is solely on surgery of the eye and its surrounding structures.

Click for more information on cataracts or the LenSx femtosecond laser for cataract surgery.

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If your doctor advises it is time for cataract surgery, Columbia Eye Clinic offers a host of the latest advancements in lens implants and surgical procedure options to create a custom experience for every cataract patient.

SURGICAL CHOICES

Standard Surgery

Your surgeon uses hand held instruments to access the cataract under a microscope and remove it from the eye. Medicare and/or insurance typically cover this surgery minus copays or deductibles.

Laser Surgery

Your surgeon utilizes a computer guided laser to assist with the most challenging steps of surgery providing you with the most accurate, predictable visual outcome possible. Laser assisted cataract surgery can also be used to correct mild levels of astigmatism.

LENS CHOICES

Multifocal Lens

A Multifocal lens implant is designed to correct your near, intermediate and distance vision. In the appropriate patient, this can mean less dependence on glasses.

Astigmatism Lens

The majority of patients have some level of astigmatism. Moderate to severe levels of astigmatism can now be corrected with a special toric lens. This can reduce the dependence on glasses.

Standard Lens

Our standard lens is suitable for patients who do not mind wearing glasses for some or all distances. This lens has a single focal point and glasses will be required for other distances. This lens is typically covered by insurance.

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