Dr. Margolis uses ultrasound to remove the cataract. This procedure is called phacoemulsification. The ultrasound probe breaks up the lens into tiny sections that are irrigated out of the eye. The membrane (capsule) which holds the lens in place is typically preserved and the lens implant (IOL) is placed within the capsule.

Traditional cataract surgery (extracapular cataract extraction) involved a large incision and the removal of the lens without breaking into smaller fragments. This necessitated placement of many stitches and a prolonged post-operative phase with extensive activity restrictions.

Technological advances have allowed the development of small incision cataract surgery. We are able to use lenses that fold upon themselves and open within the eye, therefore allowing the entire operation to be done within a much smaller area. This facilitates the creation of a self-sealing wound that rarely requires any sutures at all!

Small incision surgery has many benefits:

• Less time in the operating room • Faster healing • The ability to resume normal activities within days instead of weeks.

An evaluation by Dr. Margolis can help determine whether cataracts are present and if they are the cause of your visual problems.  A thorough eye exam prior to surgery can detect certain conditions that might effect the outcome of cataract surgery. For example, macular degeneration or glaucoma might impact the type of procedure planned.

Once cataracts are determined to be the cause of vision problems and surgery is deemed to be appropriate, measurements of the patients eye, including corneal curvature, ultrasonic length measurements and the horizontal corneal diameter are used to determine the proper lens implant. These measurements are used with and advanced computer program to predict and refine the choice of IOL.