Cataract Surgery in Manhattan

Cataract Surgery Overview

Your eyes have natural lenses through which light passes, allowing you to see. These lenses should be clear throughout your life, but sometimes they lose their transparency and become cloudy, a condition that is known as having cataracts.

Cataracts can cause progressive, painless loss of vision as things look blurry, hazy, and lose color, often making you feel as though you’re constantly looking through a foggy or dusty window. Cataract surgery in Manhattan at New York Laser Vision can help combat this and bring your vision back to normal.

AVERAGE COST: CAN BE COVERED BY HEALTH INSURANCE
DISCOMFORT LEVEL: LITTLE TO NONE
ANESTHESIA USED: LOCAL
DURATION OF PROCEDURE: 10-15 MINUTES
RECOVERY PERIOD: VISION IMPROVES QUICKLY IN THE DAYS FOLLOWING SURGERY
RESULTS LENGTH: PERMANENT

What are the Benefits of Cataract Surgery in Manhattan?

Cataract surgery offers numerous benefits that may not be covered by health plans, enhancing its value and efficacy. Firstly, the use of laser technology during the procedure ensures greater precision, corrects astigmatism if necessary, and minimizes damage to surrounding eye tissues. Secondly, the incorporation of premium intraocular lens implants, especially in advanced surgeries, enables patients to achieve clear vision both near and far, reducing or eliminating the need for glasses. One remarkable advancement in premium lens technology is the Light Adjustable Lens (LAL), which allows for post-surgery adjustments over a few weeks, resulting in highly customized vision tailored to individual preferences and needs.

What Causes Cataracts?

No one is exactly sure what causes cataracts at various stages in life. In younger people, cataracts can result from injury, certain medications, or illnesses such as diabetes. Prolonged exposure to ultraviolet light may also play a role in the formation of cataracts. Additionally, studies have shown that people who smoke cigarettes have a higher risk of developing cataracts than nonsmokers.

Typically, aging is the most common cause of cataracts. This is due to normal changes in the eye that happen after the age of 40. It is around that time that the normal proteins in the lens start to break down and cause the clouding of the lens.

Other reasons you may develop cataracts include:

Having parents, brothers, sisters, or other family members who have cataracts
Having certain medical problems, such as diabetes

Sustaining an eye injury, having eye surgery, or radiation treatments on your upper body
Spending a lot of time in the sun without sunglasses that protect your eyes from damaging ultraviolet (UV) rays

Who Do Cataracts Typically Affect?

As the eye goes through its natural changes, people over the age of 55 usually see a gradual reduction of vision since they begin to develop a clouding of their natural lens. Most age-related cataracts develop gradually, while others can develop more quickly, such as those in younger people or those in people with diabetes. Doctors cannot predict how quickly a person’s cataract will develop.

Cataract Symptoms

Although cataracts usually develop without apparent pain, some indications that a cataract may be forming are:

Blurred or hazy vision
Double vision
Poor vision in bright light
Seeing halos around lights
Yellowish tinged vision
Night vision difficulty

What are the different types of cataracts?

Cataracts that affect the center of the lens, causing it to become more densely yellow or brown gradually and further cloud your vision
Cataracts that affect the edges of the lens which begin as whitish, wedge-shaped streaks on the outer edge of the lens cortex
Cataracts that affect the back of the lens which progress faster than other types of cataracts
Congenital cataracts may be genetic or associated with an intrauterine infection or trauma. These cataracts may also be due to certain conditions, such as myotonic dystrophy, galactosemia, neurofibromatosis type 2, or rubella.

How Can I Prevent Cataracts?

As cataracts are usually a natural, age-related phenomena, there may be no sure-fire way to prevent cataracts entirely. However, protecting your eyes from sunlight is the best way to slow the development of cataracts. Wear sunglasses that block ultraviolet (UV) light rays or sunglasses that have a clear, anti-UV coating. Talk to your eye doctor to learn more.

Cataract Surgery Videos

Cataract Surgery Overview: Dr. Milana Sapozhnikov

Lens Implant options for Cataract Surgery

Cataract Surgery (in the OR)

Dr. Giyaur on Cataract Eye Surgery

Olga's testimonial after Cataract Eye Surgery (English)

Olga's testimonial after Cataract Eye Surgery (Russian)

What to Expect on the Day of Your Cataract Surgery

Dealing with Cataracts and Astigmatism

The Only Trifocal IOL in the USA for Cataract Surgery

Presbyopia and Astigmatism with Cataracts

Cataract Surgery Basics

Am I a good candidate for cataract surgery in Manhattan?

Eye doctors suggest considering cataract surgery when your cataracts affect your quality of life or interfere with your ability to perform routine daily activities, such as reading or driving at night.

If your cataracts impede your vision and you are in reasonably good health, you’re likely a candidate for cataract surgery in Manhattan with our eye doctors. A good candidate for cataract surgery has no medical condition that could prevent proper wound healing. People with diabetes with poorly managed health and advanced retinopathy, as well as patients with glaucoma, are not good candidates for cataract surgery.

Cataract Surgery Patient Testimonial

Thank You Very Much for removing the cataract from my 92 years old Mother's eye. I was very impressed with the professionalism and care from the staff and doctor.

How Do I Prepare for My Cataract Surgery?

Your ophthalmologist will give you specific instructions to follow on the days leading up to, the day of, and the days after your surgery. There are certain medications that you will be asked to stop taking leading up to the date of your surgery.

Typically, eye-drops will be sent to your pharmacy a few days before the surgery so that you may begin using them. These drops are medication that help prevent infection and reduce swelling during and after the surgery.

The surgery is not performed in our office, it will be scheduled at an outpatient surgical center. On the day of the surgery, you will be asked to not eat any solid food at least 6 hours before undergoing our cataract surgery.

Cataract Surgery Patient Testimonials

What is Recovery Like After Cataract Surgery?

After cataract surgery in Manhattan at New York Laser Vision, you’ll get eye drops to help your eye heal, and you may need to wear a special eye shield or glasses. You’ll likely need to avoid some activities for a few weeks, such as touching your eye, bending over, and lifting heavy objects.

Your eye may feel itchy or uncomfortable and sensitive to light and touch for the first two days following your cataract surgery. Most people are entirely healed eight weeks after their surgery.

Why Should I Get Cataract Surgery in Manhattan?

You are not required to have cataract surgery if you are comfortable with your vision and your symptoms have not progressed. Once visual impairment interferes with your ability to read, work, or do the things you enjoy, it’s time to consider cataract surgery.

Cataract surgery is relatively painless and is one of the most frequently performed surgical procedures in the United States. It has a very high success rate, with more than 98 percent of patients regaining useful vision.

Learn More about Dr. Giyaur

What Are Intraocular Lenses? (IOLS)

Intraocular lenses, or IOLs, are the artificial lenses that replace the eye’s natural lens when it is removed during cataract surgery. IOLs have been around since the mid-1960s, but were not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration until 1981. Before that, if you had cataracts removed, you had to wear very thick eyeglasses or special contact lenses to see afterward, since the natural lens that had been removed wasn’t replaced with anything.

Until recently, every lens implant simply acted like a fixed-focus lens, allowing a person to see well either at a distance or close-up, but never both. Most of the time, people who receive these simple implants need reading glasses for close work.

Newer, premium lens implants, such as multifocal lenses, trifocal lenses, and extended range of vision lenses, can provide both reading, intermediate, and distance vision without glasses for people undergoing cataract or refractive lens implant surgery. Additionally, with modern improvements, premium lenses are also available to those with astigmatism.

Each of the implants work in slightly different ways, and not all implants are right for all patients. Your eye surgeon will help you make an informed decision about which implant will work best to provide a lifetime of clear vision for you. Call us at (718)-676-6464 to schedule a consultation today!

Cataract Surgery FAQ

Can cataracts be prevented or reversed?

No, but wearing high-quality sunglasses with UV protection can slow the progression of a cataract.

When is the best time to have cataract surgery?

It should be removed if a cataract impairs your vision or your lifestyle. If the cataract remains stable, surgery may not yet be necessary.

Can cataracts return after surgery?

No, because the lens where the cataract forms have been removed and replaced.

Is cataract surgery painful?

A local anesthetic will keep you from experiencing pain during your procedure, and you’ll receive a mild sedative to help you relax.

Do I need glasses after cataract surgery?

With standard IOL implants, vision becomes clear, but reading eyeglasses may still be necessary if you wore them before cataracts developed.

Will my cataract grow back?

No, cataracts do not grow back after they have been surgically removed.

What are the risks associated with delaying cataract surgery?

Delaying cataract surgery can lead to worsening vision, increased difficulty performing daily activities, and a higher risk of complications during surgery.

Can cataract surgery correct other vision problems, such as astigmatism?

Yes, cataract surgery can often correct astigmatism by using specialized intraocular lenses or additional surgical techniques.