If you are between the ages of 52 and 64, you have a fifty percent chance of developing cataracts. As we age, cloudy or opaque areas often develop on the lens of the eye. You may not notice at first, but eventually the cataract prevents light from focusing on the retina. Blurred or distorted images, sensitivity to light, and increased near-sightedness often result.

A complete eye exam is all that is needed to find a cataract. Treatment sometimes is as easy as a change in your glasses, stronger bifocals, or use of magnifying lenses to help improve your vision. The way to surgically treat a cataract is to remove the lens and replace it with an artificial lens. Just because you have a cataract does not mean it must be removed immediately. Cataract surgery can almost always be put off until you are unhappy with the way you see.

Should surgery be needed, it is done on an outpatient basis in our office. Dr. Croley uses the latest techniques in small-incision cataract surgery. Using ultrasound waves, the cataract is broken up into pieces and removed from the eye through a self-sealing incision which usually requires no stitches. Many times an intraocular lens implant is inserted in the eye, giving normal distance vision without glasses.

Most people who have a cataract recover from surgery with no problems and improved vision. In fact, serious complications are not common with modern cataract surgery.