CATARACT SURGERY:

The patient comes to the facility where the surgery will be performed 1-2 hours before the operation. The necessary examinations are performed according to his/her general health conditions - or the patient is asked to have them performed earlier. The eyes are prepared by applying some eye drops and the patient is taken to the operating room.

There is no local or general anesthesia in todays cataract surgery except for some special cases. The patient is prepared for the operation by applying eye drops that anaesthetize only the eyes. After these eye drops are applied for 4-5 times, the surgeon can start the operation.

SURGERY 1. STEP:

First the eye is anaesthetized with an eye drop applied for 4-5 times. There is no need for another anaesthesia method. These types of anaesthesia performed with eye drops are called topical anaesthesia, e.g. eye drop anaesthesia.

The area where the transparent part , the cornea, and the white part of the eye, the schlera, are united is the first cutting location in a cataract surgery. With a special cut of approx. 3 mms, the inside of the eye is reached.

SURGERY 2. STEP:

A jelly-like material, which has the ability to protect the eye tissues is filled inside the eye from this cut. This material allows the surgeon to work comfortably and securely inside the eye.

SURGERY 3. STEP:

The lens of the eye (the tissue we call cataract when thickened) is behind the iris, the colored part of the eye. Cataract is inside a membrane. A round window is opened in the front side of the cataract membrane with a deviced called cystotom.

SURGERY 4. STEP:

This membrane with a window in its center is separated from the nucleus and the cortex of the cataract using a liquid. The liquid injected from the side surfaces of the membrane, separates the membrane from other parts. This operation allows the cataract to be free within its own membrane

SURGERY 5. STEP:

It is now time to clean the cataract. A devices called facoemulsifier (faco in brief) is used at this stage. This device uses ultrasonic force, eg sound wave power. This device, with a diameter of 2.7 mms disintegrates the cataract, absorbs the pieces and fills the empty field with an almost-natural liquid.

SURGERY 6. STEP:

In rigid cataracts, the nucleus is broken with a second device. The rigid cataract is broken into smaller pieces and so cleaned more easily.

SURGERY 7. STEP:

After the bigger part of the cataract, the nucleus is cleaned, the cortex cleaning is performed. This tissue is some kind of an internal shell attached to the inner surface of the membrane. This way, the natural membrane of the cataract is turned into an empty, clean bag.

SURGERY 8. STEP:

Now the inner part of the eye is cleaned from cataract. The eye is filled again with the jelly-like material for a comfortable and secure operation. Now this material can fill the membrane emptied by the cataract.  

SURGERY 9. STEP:

Now is the time to place the artificial lens in place of the natural lens (the cataract) which is removed. This artificial lens is manufactured from a special material and can be folded thanks to its softness. The lens gets folded with the help of a special system, inserted inside the eye from the 3 mm cut, and placed inside the membrane of the natural lense. This lense is manufactured from a special material which is known for more than 50 years to not cause reaction in the eye.

SURGERY 10. STEP:

The surgery is completed. The patient can get up without any stiches, can open his/her eyes within approx. 1 hour and can return home.