Better Brains After Cataract Surgery?!

As we get older and get cataracts we start to lose our ability to see blue light. Cataracts, especially the brownish nuclear sclerotic cataracts that are so common in aging, are nature's blue blockers! A small pilot study done in England has shown that removing cataracts and increasing the amount of blue light that reaches the retina boosts our brain function.

"Aging is asssociated with insomnia, depression , and cognitive decline," the study authors said. "Removal of a yellow cataract and replacement with a clear intraocular lens as a means of increasing blue-light trnasmission has potential benefits to non-visual brain responses."

These responses are linked to the melanopsin-dependent systems in the brain, specifically our circadian rhythm or wake/sleep schedule. In turn, a disruption in this cycle--older individuals tend to sleep less, sleep more poorly, and have more trouble staying on a regular sleep/wake schedule--is associated with not only depression but also a slowing of brain responses to all kinds of mental tasks.

15 individuals with an average age of 75 had cataract surgery and then underwent a series of mental tasks that were both simple and complex. Aftert the surgery their reaction times were dramatically  faster, regardless of their vision!

The more we study cataract surgery the more benefits we discover!

Trends In Treating Astigmatism

The surgical revolution in treating astigmatism began with the onset of Radial Keratotomy (RK) in the late 1970's and continued into the era of Laser Vision Correction. When a cataract was to be replaced, if you had astigmatism you either had to undergo a procedure like RK called a Limbal Relaxing Incision (LRI) during or after the surgery, or a laser procedure like LASIK or PRK. These all work well.

About 5 years ago there was a new development in Intra-Ocular Lenses (IOL) that not only improved vision after cataract surgery, but also treated astigmatism: Toric IOL's. A study of refractive cataract surgeons like our Dr. White recently reported that 75% now prefer to use these new IOL's rather than LRI's in patients with astigmatism.

"We really like the Alcon Toric IOL when we are aiming to make our  Cleveland patients independent from glasses for their distanc vision needs like driving or watching TV," said Dr. White.  "Our golfers are particularly happy!"

Extra pre-operative measurements like corneal topography are necessary to choose both the power and the orientation of the IOL. Once it's in the eye it is amazingly stable!

The technology of cataract surgery now includes multiple ways to address astigmatism. Dr. White and a majority of the top surgeons in the United States are now opting for a Toric IOL in cases where astigmatism is treated during the surgery.

Eye Doc Education 3.0!

This evening the doctors of SkyVision Centers will be hosting their 3rd educational seminar for local eye doctors. The first two seminars were rousing successes and we expect nothing less tonight. Each session has included two talks by either our very own SkyVision docs or invited guests. The topics covered have included the new Tear Osmolarity technology and Cataract Implants for Astigmatism among others. In addition, the two meetings have included very interesting dinner fare!

Attendees at 1.0 were treated to an Italian feast with accompanying Italian wines, while 2.0 featured artisinal pizza and Brew Kettle beer brewed especially for the meeting!

Tonight the speakers will be Dr. Darrell White and Dr. Scott Schlegel. Dr. White will introduce the concept of "service lines" in the development of protocols to diagnose, treat, and follow specific diseases in "Glaucoma Protocol Development I". Dr. Schlegel will be tackling the subject of introducing a patient with cataracts to the choices they will face when then are trying to decide what type of Intra-Ocular lens to use for their surgery.

What about dinner? Well, tonight we will be serving Mexican! Their will be a fajita bar with all of the fixin's, traditional Mexican cookies, and of course something interesting to wash it all down! We are all looking forward to seeing our friends in the eye care community as we gather to improve our collective understanding of how best to treat our patients.

No Longer Struggling to See! A Satisfied Cataract Patient's story . . . .

Thank you for your kind words Dr. Palma!



I went to Skyvision this past fall for what I believed to be a routine eye exam to update my prescription for glasses and contact lenses. I definitely couldn't see as well as I used to. The staff was professional and friendly as always (my kids go there too).

Initially I saw Dr. Kaye who was concerned about my vision and ordered further tests. After lengthy testing, Dr. White made the comment that I was really "struggling to see". It turned out I had a cataract.... not something I wanted to hear being less than 50 yrs old. During my evaluation for cataract surgery I met with Dr. Schlegel who explained every aspect of surgery. He answered all of my questions, reassured me everything would be ok, and that they had done the intraocular lens implant surgery frequently.

I chose the multifocal intraocular lens so I would not need glasses to see up close. The day of the surgery I went to the outpatient surgery center. The staff there was just as professional and friendly as at Skyvision. The surgery took just a few minutes and I left 1/2 hr after surgery. Two weeks later, the other eye was done.

Today I am NOT "struggling to see". Dr. White gave me the incredible gift of sight! I cannot thank the doctors and staff at Skyvision enough for my special care. Recently my husband told me that he was so impressed with the care I received that he was going to switch to Skyvision!


Gabriella Palma, M.D.