Cataract Removal Fort Myers
If you think you may have a cataract, schedule an appointment for evaluation and removal with Elmquist Eye Group in Fort Myers. We take a genuine interest in your eye health and can provide valuable advice and treatment options.
For more than 23 years, patients from throughout Southwest Florida have been visiting Elmquist Eye Group for the highest quality eye care, including cataract evaluations and surgery, glaucoma evaluation and treatment, dry eye evaluation and treatment, and other eye conditions that affect everyone from children to seniors.
With over 40 combined years of experience in the optical field, we proudly offer a unique combination of state-of-the-art eye care and the highest level of service, while taking a personal interest in each one of our patients.
Our skilled Elmquist team includes E. Trevor Elmquist, DO, a board certified ophthalmologist and fellow of the American Academy of Ophthalmology who has been selected as one of America’s Top Doctors by Castle Connolly Medical Ltd.
Dr. Elmquist’s partner, Kate Wagner, OD, and his associate, Nina Burt, OD, are board certified optometrists. And the newest member of our team is Sarah Eccles-Brown, MD, who is a board certified ophthalmologist and a fellow of the American Academy of Ophthalmology.
Cataracts and Cataract Removal
Cataracts are cloudy areas in the normally clear lens of the eye. The most common cause is aging, but there are other causes. A traumatic cataract can result from an eye injury. Cataracts may also be caused by certain diseases, such as diabetes, and some medications, such as prednisone and corticosteroids.
The good news about cataracts is that they are curable by means of cataract surgery. Dr. Elmquist specializes in cataract surgery and will provide you with outstanding care.
In traditional cataract surgery, the clouded natural lens is removed and replaced with an artificial intraocular lens (IOL). Dr. Elmquist will gently numb the eye so you won’t feel any discomfort. Then he will use a hand-held blade to make tiny incisions on the cornea to gain access to the lens and break it into fragments for easy removal. He will remove the lens fragments using ultrasound energy and gentle suction, and insert and position the new lens.
Elmquist Eye Group is also proud to offer state-of-the-art bladeless laser-assisted cataract surgery to qualified patients. Thanks to the laser technology, cataract surgery is faster, safer and more accurate, and it is no longer necessary to make incisions with hand-held blades.
Computer software is used to make a 3-D image of your eye and a plan for corneal incisions at precise locations, depths and lengths. The laser makes those incisions (without a blade), and also opens the lens capsule to fragment the clouded lens. Dr. Elmquist then inserts and positions the new intraocular lens.
Both traditional and laser-assisted cataract surgery are highly successful procedures, but it is important to understand that complications can occur during or after surgery, some severe enough to limit vision. As with any surgery, a good result cannot be guaranteed.
Elmquist Eye Group is proud to be a leader in cataract removal surgery in Fort Myers, Cape Coral, Lee County and all of Southwest Florida. Call us today at (239) 936-2020 to learn more about the treatment options.