Cataract surgery has been performed for many centuries, but about 50 years ago, a process called phacoemulsification revolutionized the procedure. The surgeons at Elmquist Eye Group are the best cataract surgeons near Port Charlotte, Florida. We are very experienced cataract surgeons who are ready to do your surgical evaluation to determine whether you are a candidate for the surgery.
Why phacoemulsification is superior
Prior to the development of phacoemulsification, surgeons had to remove the entire lens and associated structures which made implantation of an intraocular lens difficult, or even impossible. Furthermore, many patients were left with a significant degree of farsightedness. You may remember a parent or grandparent having cataract removal then having to wear the thick lenses known as cataract glasses.
Invention of the phacoemulsification procedure changed all that. Now, surgeons dilate the eyes prior to surgery, during the preoperative phase. Anesthetic agents are then administered and the surgery begins. The surgeon uses a laser to break up the cataract, then suction the fragments from the eye.
The actual lens removal and replacement with an artificial lens only takes about 10 minutes. Phacoemulsification leaves the lens capsule (capsular bag) intact, thus allowing much easier lens replacement. The capsular bag actually provides the structure onto which the lens is implanted.
The Elmquist method
At Elmquist, we perform stitch-less cataract surgery. The incision is small and precise and can heal on its own after surgery. Our surgeons are board-certified and fellowship trained, and continue to be trained on the latest phacoemulsification technique and technology refinements.
Modern cataract surgery done by experienced surgeons like ours is so precise that it can even correct refractive error. We can correct both nearsightedness and farsightedness, and the laser surgery is so precise that we can correct much higher refractive error these days. We can even correct complex cases of astigmatism, unheard of just a few years ago.
This surgery is one of the safest and most effective surgeries performed today. Expert surgeons offer consistency in surgical technique under tightly controlled conditions, and over time, the surgery becomes reliable with very predictable outcomes for our patients.
A little over a decade ago, cataract surgery adopted laser technology. The femtosecond laser was first used in LASIK refractive surgery to create a corneal flap. In 2008, the laser technology was first used in cataract surgery. Use of the femtosecond laser allows surgeons to have even more precision, and visual outcomes are also more precise for the patient. Because the laser-assisted cataract surgery is more predictable and more precise, we prefer this method because the results are much more reproducible compared to traditional (conventional) cataract surgery.
Most people are candidates for the laser surgery, but we do still perform the manual phacoemulsification surgery on people who are not candidates for the laser procedure. Both surgeries have wonderful outcomes and are equally safe and effective.
Regardless of which procedure you have, you will take comfort in knowing that your procedure is being performed by the best cataract surgeons near Port Charlotte, Florida. If your cataracts significantly interfere with your vision, it is time to visit the Elmquist Eye Group. Give us a call today.