Cataract

It is possible that your cataract has already been diagnosed by your ophthalmologist, but the first step toward surgery is a specialized examination at our clinic. During the examination, you will spend approximately 2 hours with us. You will undergo several measurements such as:

– autorefractometry – instrumental measurement of diopters,
– vision examination – visual acuity for distance and near vision,
– tonometry – intraocular pressure measurement,
– slit lamp examination before and after dilation (anterior part of the eye and retina),
– fundoscopy – examination of the ocular fundus, and
– OCT examination – to image the macula on the retina, the optic nerve, and the cornea.

After all measurements and examinations have been performed, the doctor will determine preventive measures and preparation for the surgical procedure. Before the surgery, you must also undergo a preoperative internal examination by your general practitioner, or another specialist if you are being treated for another condition. It must not be older than one month before the surgery.

The only solution for removing cataract is surgery. It is the most common procedure performed on the human body. It is painless during the procedure as well as during healing. It takes approximately 10 minutes. During the operation, the eye surgeon removes your own clouded lens using phacoemulsification – ultrasound breaks the lens into small particles and aspirates it, and replaces it with a new, artificial one.

The most suitable type of intraocular lens will be recommended to you by the surgeon based on examinations and an individual consultation. The selection depends on your health condition. A wide range of intraocular lenses allows us, in addition to cataract removal, to eliminate various refractive errors and provide the patient with independence from prescription glasses after surgery. We typically offer 4 types of intraocular lenses that help the patient get rid of glasses, namely:

– Monofocal – a monofocal lens with one focus point that eliminates either distance vision diopters or reading glasses
– Toric – a monofocal lens with one focus point that also corrects astigmatism
– EDOF – an extended depth of focus lens that provides sharp vision at different distances, especially at intermediate and partially near distances, contributing to an active life without glasses
– Multifocal – a lens that completely eliminates the need for glasses both for distance and near vision.

At the Dr. Böhm Eye Center, we perform cataract surgery using a manual method without the use of a femtosecond laser. We choose this time-proven method because manual surgery can be done in a shorter time, usually within 10 minutes, and we do not financially burden the patient with an additional laser procedure that is not covered by any health insurance. Additionally, the use of the laser requires the patient to be transferred to another operating table during the surgery. The lens entry point, for which the laser is used, can be made by our experienced cataract surgeons with comparable precision to the laser technology. Moreover, the laser-made opening does not have the same strength as a manually created one and brings a higher risk of capsule rupture during or after the operation.

Cataract is a diagnosis of both eyes. Cataract surgery is worthwhile even in older patients, for example, 90-year-olds. People sometimes think they shouldn’t bother operating on a parent or grandparent in their eighties or even older. But age plays no role in removing cataract. “Almost every patient, even one suffering from chronic internal conditions, can handle the painless procedure,” says Chief Physician MUDr. Peter Böhm. The surgery is often a relief for older patients. “After years, they can once again spend their time meaningfully. They can see the newspaper again, solve crossword puzzles, watch TV, read, or if their health allows, go for a walk by themselves. We have cases where relatives bring grandma in a wheelchair because she couldn’t see and couldn’t move independently. After the cataract was removed and a new intraocular lens implanted, the patient came for a check-up the next day already on her own, on her own feet.”