Many of you who are getting ready for cataract surgery also have astigmatism and have wondered if that can be fixed at the same time as the cataract surgery. Now, here are the FAQs to help you out.
Can cataract surgery also correct astigmatism?
Yes, with either corneal relaxing incision and/or the implementation of a toric lens, both cataracts and astigmatism can be corrected at the same time! Astigmatism is a common imperfection with nearly one in three people in the U.S. having some degree of the irregularity. Astigmatism is caused by a curvature of your eye, which results in distorted images or blurred vision both near and far.
Recent research has shown that astigmatism left untreated at the time of cataract surgery tends to worsen after cataract surgery. So, while the removal of the cloudy lens by the cataract will improve your vision, you may notice blurred vision caused by the worsening of your astigmatism. The good news? Astigmatism can be corrected as part of your laser cataract surgery or traditional cataract surgery.
What’s the procedure?
During your laser cataract surgery or traditional cataract surgery, the eye doctor can alter the shape of the cornea by making a small incision in the cornea, allowing it to reconfigure and increase the roundness. The curvature now matches the implanted lens, resulting in significantly improved vision and often eliminating the need for eyeglasses entirely for distance. Higher levels of astigmatism can be treated by implanting a toric intraocular lens at the time of the incisional procedure. The astigmatism correction adds only a few minutes to the typical 20-minute laser cataract surgery and no additional recovery time to the eye surgery.
Double results with one procedure.
If you notice a change in your vision, contact your eye doctor for an examination. To find out if you are a candidate for astigmatism correction with your laser cataract surgery or traditional cataract surgery, contact us online at [email protected] or call 772-257-8700 for more information or to schedule a consultation with our world-class eye doctors.