H E A LT H
WHAT AN OPHTHALMOLOGIST WANTS YOU TO KNOW ABOUT CATARACTS
L
orraine Petersen from
unlikely to notice changes to your
break up the cataract with a probe
Mitchell’s Plain explains that
vision initially, a cataract may grow
that produces ultrasound waves
her mother’s failing eyesight
denser and cloud more of the lens
and sucks out the fragments,” says
was affecting her quality
over time. This can make your
of life. “Her cataracts
vision foggy as less light
made it difficult for
reaches the retina. It’s
her to see and she
rather like looking
lost confidence.
through a misted-up
At one point, she
window.
stopped going
Dr Gerber. “For cataracts that have progressed to the point where patients can only see large hand movements, we can’t use ultrasound to break it up as the cataract is too hard. So we make a bigger incision to remove the
Fortunately,
HOW DO THEY DEVELOP?
Lorraine’s mother
Most cataracts
clouded lens is then replaced
out altogether.”
was selected for
develop slowly and
a cataract removal
are left undiagnosed
procedure at Mediclinic
for a long time. Dr Willem
Milnerton as part of a
Gerber, an ophthalmologist
large-scale corporate social
at Mediclinic Durbanville, explains
cataract as a whole.” The eye’s with a synthetic version called an intraocular lens (IOL) to restore clear vision. The monofocal IOL has a fixed focus for one distance. Presbyopia-
investment project. After a successful
that as the cataract grows denser,
correcting IOLs (also known as
operation, she’s regained clear vision.
it will lead to more noticeable
multifocal IOLs) have the potential
“I’m very glad she was selected for
symptoms, such as:
to help you see clearly at more
the surgery,” Lorraine says. “She’s
• Clouded, blurred or dim vision
than one distance. Toric IOLs are
able to enjoy her grandchildren’s
• Increasing difficulty with vision
designed to correct both cataracts
school concerts again – and to read the subtitles on TV.”
at night
and astigmatism (an imperfection
• Sensitivity to light and glare
in the curvature of your eye) at the
• Need for brighter light for reading
time of surgery.
WHAT IS A CATARACT?
and other activities
A cataract is a progressive clouding
• Seeing ‘halos’ around lights
of the natural lens of the eye, which
• Frequent changes in eyeglass
Can you prevent them? In short, no. Although no one knows exactly what causes
is located behind the pupil. This
(spectacle) or contact lens
cataracts, the most common type
clouding can disrupt the vision.
prescription
is related to ageing. “Scientists
“There are many different types
• Fading or yellowing of colours
think there may be several
and causes of cataracts, but the
• Double vision in a single eye.
additional causes for cataracts,
most common is normal age-related
including smoking, diabetes and
degeneration of the eye’s lens,”
WHAT IS THE CURE?
eye injury – either soon after
says Dr Alan Sara, a supporting
The short answer is surgery, with
injury or years later,” says Dr
ophthalmologist at Mediclinic
the intricacy of the procedure being
Aleksic. And although you may
Howick. “If we live long enough, we’re
dependent on how dense the cataract
develop cataracts in both eyes, a
all destined to get them.”
is. “With early cataracts, we do a
cataract cannot spread from one
procedure called phacoemulsification,
eye to the other. •
Dr Zoran Aleksic, a Mediclinic Cape Town ophthalmic
which, in simple terms, is a micro-
surgeon, adds that while you’re
incision surgery technique where we
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SILVER DIGEST // SUMMER 2020/2021
This article was first published on www. mediclinicinfohub.co.za on 19 October 2020.
