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OptiVision Eye Care

Cataract Diagnosis and Treatment

If the natural lens of the eye becomes cloudy, or cataractous, it is typically removed and replaced with an artificial lens (intraocular lens or IOL). This type of procedure is called cataract surgery. It is performed with topical anesthetic (numbing eye drops) in an outpatient setting and typically does not require patching or the use sutures (or stitches). This no needle, no stitch, no patch technique is the standard of care today. In the hands of experienced surgeons like Dr. Stephen Dudley and Dr. Gerald Clarke, modern cataract surgery is safe, effective, pain free and relatively fast, with procedure times under 15 minutes. Below is a basic description of the procedure.

	Step 1 The eye is numbed and a micro-incision is place in the cornea. This gives the surgeon access to the cloudy lens (or cataract). The lens is gently removed from the eye using process called phacoemulsification
	Step 2 The artificial lens implant, or IOL, is placed inside the eye where the natural lens was. The incision is sealed without the need for sutures.