Advanced Lens Implants Last Forever!

More and more of our SkyVision patients are choosing Advanced Lifestyle intraocular lens implants (IOL's) for their cataract surgeries. Not only are they getting better and better vision, but following their surgeries they can see almost everything they need to see WITHOUT ANY GLASSES!! We have also noticed a trend toward people opting to have their surgies at a younger age so that they can enjoy their improved, glasses-free vision for a longer time.

This of course has prompted people to start to ask how long will their implants last? It turns out that the new, advanced IOL's that help people to see better without glasses last just as long as the Basic High-Tech implants we have been using for decades. Dr. White is fond of saying that "[your] lens implants will outlive you by several thousand years!"

If you have a cataract and need to have surgery you don't have to worry about your IOL "wearing out". They pretty much last forever! The two questions you need to ask yourself remain the same as they've always been. When do I want to see better? Do I want to be freer from the need to wear glasses after my cataract surgery?

If the answers are "now" and "yes" you can rest assurred that your IOL's will likely last forever!

Cataract Rates Rising In U.S.

Here's some more information for you during Cataract Awareness Month. It appears that the rate of cataract diagnosis has risen ~19% in the U.S. since the year 2000. Remember our post from the other day about cataracts? Everyone who lives long enough will develop a cataract! At least 50% of those people who develop cataracts will go on to have surgery, and it's probably also true that if you live long enough you will need your cataract out!

There are some risk factors for cataract growth, especially for early onset of cataracts. Family history is important as is your medical history. Diabetes is a very strong risk factor for the development of cataracts. Exposure to ultraviolet light can also increase not only your risk for developing a cataract, but also the speed with which that cataract may get worse.

Thankfully, cataract surgery is one of the most frequently performed, successful, and safest surgery in the United States. Not only is it possible to improve your vision once the cataract has caused it to decrease, but there are also implant options that you can choose that will reduce your need to wear glasses after your cataract surgery like the Crystalens from Bausch & Lomb.

Here's the link for the recent story with info from the AAO. Give us a call at SkyVision Centers if you have any questions about cataracts!

August Is Cataract Awareness Month!

Did you know that August is Cataract Awareness Month?! Just what is a cataract anyway? A cataract is a clouding of the natural, crystalline lens inside the eye. The lens sits just in back of our pupil in front of the retina. It helps to focus light on the retina, and helps us to change our focus when we look at things up close.

Everyone who lives long enough will get a cataract! Some people get them much younger than other people, and the amount of trouble the cataract causes you and your vision is what determines when you need to have surgery. The only way to treat a cataract is to remove it surgically. As of this time in history there isn't any way to really prevent a cataract from ever growing in your eye. It seems as if the only way to slow cataract growth is to protect your eyes from UV light when you are young, and to not smoke.

Our cataract surgeon is Dr. Darrell White. Dr. White is one of the most experienced cataract surgeons in all or Northeast Ohio. Our Advanced Lifestyle Lens Implant program is the leader in the use of lens implants to reduce your need to wear glasses after having your cataracts out. In face, Dr. White was the first surgeon in Ohio to implant the Crystalens, the first of the new wave of implants designed to correct not only distance vision, but also reading vision, without wearing glasses!

Once your cataract is removed it will never come back! Cataracts are a very treatable cause of decreased vision as we get older. If you or a family member have been told that you have a cataract, it's a very treatable problem with very good results! Here in Northeast Ohio we are blessed to have many very fine cataract surgeons, including our own Dr. White!

Cataract Surgery - We Love To Hear From Our Patients!

"Dear Dr. White,

Am I Happy with my new Crystalens? They’ve changed my life. I feel like I have new eyes. I didn’t think that was possible.

My Mother lost vision in one eye due to glaucoma along with a cataract. I was hesitant to have ANY eye surgery done. My cataracts were beginning to obstruct my nighttime driving so I knew that it was time for some type of eye correction.

Never did I realize that I would get my vision back. Every morning I get out of bed with good vision. No fumbling for glasses. No daily routine of inserting one contact lens for near vision and one for far vision.

I can drive at night, see movies in the theater, read a newspaper, read books, and work on my computer, all without difficulty. It’s like a miracle happened or else new eyes transplanted.

Thank you to the research department that developed the Crystalens.

Sincerely,

Kathy Gregory R.N.,R.D.H., B.S.,M.S.&E.D.

Registered Nurse, Registered Dental Hygienist, Bachelor of Science, Master of Science and Education"

Thank you Kathy for sharing your experience with us!

The doctors and staff from Skyvision

Over 40 Eyes

My arms are too short! I need more light to read! I never had to wear glasses for my entire life -- why do I have to wear glasses now?!

Over 40 eyes, otherwise known as presbyopia, is what happens to us when we get older. Even people who have had perfect vision of the course of their life we'll eventually need some help seen things up close. It's just a part of getting older, as natural as a teenage boy growing out of his sneakers. The only way to avoid it is to check out, and that's pretty lousy strategy!

When we focus on things up close three things happen. First, our eyes come closer together. Next, our pupils get smaller. Finally, the lens inside our eyes gets fatter. The whole process is called accommodation. We accommodate to see things up close throughout our entire life. Kids have massive powers of accommodation, but we slowly lose this power as we get older.

Somewhere in our late 30s or early 40s the muscles inside our eyes get a little weaker in the lens inside our eyes gets a little harder. This makes it more difficult for us to see things up close. People who are hyperopic, or farsighted, actually have to use their powers of accommodation for all of their vision, even seen things a mile away. Folks like this often end up in reading glasses much earlier than the rest of us.

So what do we do? Well, even we wear those cheapo glasses we buy the drugstore, or we get a personalized pair of reading glasses, or we wear bifocals (See Here)! Some of us even choose to have surgery, replacing our natural lenses with implants like the Crystalens. We'll talk lots more about this as time goes on.

So if you are having trouble reading this maybe you should come see us at Skyvision Centers!