Faq – frequently asked questions
Will I have my pupils dilated during a normal visit to the ophthalmologist?
At our clinic, every patient during their first visit has a thorough eye test done. We dilate the pupils so that we can get a proper look at the eyeground and assess the retina. Other tests are the autorefractometer, corneal topography (particularly in patients with astigmatism), measurement of the intraocular pressure, visual acuity test. The doctor views the eyes in a slit lamp, which enables an assessment of the state of the cornea and lens (in terms of cataracts). Do not drive to this first visit, as after the visual accommodation is disrupted there are temporary problems with visual acuity, and if you wear contact lenses it is good to remove them at least a day before the visit.
Does the choice of how to remove a cataract depend on its hardness?
Yes. A soft cataract is technically easiest to remove. The harder the nucleus of the lens, the less chance there is of phacoemulsification. In the case of very hard cataracts, the extracapsular extraction method is applied.
The development of phacoemulsification techniques is enabling harder and harder cataracts to be operated on.
In the case of subluxation (incomplete dislocation) of a lens, cryoextraction may be the only way to remove it.
Can cataract surgery be carried out under local anaesthetic?
Cataracts are routinely removed under local anaesthetic. Sometimes general anaesthetic is necessary. Some operators apply anaesthetic as drops and intracamerally – inside the eye, into the anterior chamber before phacoemulsification commences.
How is the lens selected?
There are special mathematical formulae allowing the strength of a lens to be calculated based on the length of the eyeball and the keratometric values of the cornea. At the LASER Centre, we use LensMaster laser biometry to calculate the strength of the lens, and also a special on-line calculator in the case of toric lenses. We are a facility which is fully fitted with diagnostic equipment, which means we can prepare the patient for cataract surgery.