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Cataracts are one of the leading causes of vision loss and blindness in the world, but that doesn't mean patients have to be left in the dark. The Herzig Eye Institute has developed A Patient's Guide to Advanced Cataract Technology Solutions, a complimentary direct-to-consumer education resource guide to help patients understand the various treatment options available for people with advanced cataracts.
As the Canadian population ages, the number of new cataract cases has skyrocketed, putting a strain on our health care system. The numbers of patients are overwhelming the available resources and many people are unsure of where to turn for information.
"Even with a vast amount of information at our fingertips, the understanding of cataracts among those who are affected or at high risk for developing a cataract is still a little cloudy," states Cherry Tabb, Co-Founder/CEO, Herzig Eye Institute. "We realized there is a need to educate and clear some of the confusion surrounding cataracts and cataract surgery. As a result we have developed A Patient's Guide to Advanced Cataract Technology Solutions to help demystify cataracts."
A Patient's Guide to Advanced Cataract Technology Solutions is a starting point for those diagnosed with cataracts. This guide provides key information to help people make an educated decision about their options when faced with the development of cataracts including: signs and symptoms, risk factors, prevention, surgery, recovery and choosing a good surgeon.
A Patient's Guide to Advanced Cataract Technology Solutions is available free of charge by calling the Herzig Eye Institute at 1-888-782-8000 or by visiting
www.herzigeye.com for a downloadable PDF version.
Treatment of Cataracts:
Although vision can be improved in the early stages of cataracts with new glasses, strong bifocals, magnification, appropriate lighting or other visual aids, cataract surgery is usually recommended when patients feel their quality of life has been reduced due to their cloudy or blurry vision.
In Ontario, unless your vision is at least 20/40 (you are able to see at 20 feet what the average person can see at 40 feet), you cannot drive. If driving an automobile is not essential, the patient may choose to stop driving and delay surgery until the cataracts interfere with other activities. But those who enjoy the independence of driving may wish to have surgery earlier to avoid even a temporary loss of their driving license.
When a patient feels poor vision is interfering with their day-to-day-life, cataract surgery should be explored.
Advanced Refractive Cataract Surgery at the Herzig Eye Institute:
The goal of the Herzig Eye Institute is to not only restore a patient's vision, but also to eliminate or reduce the dependence on glasses following cataract surgery.
Modern cataract surgery is performed using ultrasound energy. For many years, surgeons have inserted an intraocular lens (IOL), a 5 or 6 mm lens made of silicone or plastic, into the eye during cataract surgery after the removal of the eye's old cloudy or discoloured lens. The earliest and most common forms of IOLs for cataract surgery are monofocal and are designed to correct vision at one distance. This procedure is routinely and safely performed in hospital and is covered by OHIP.
In addition to facilitating this option, the Herzig Eye Institute offers Advanced Refractive Cataract Surgery using both the safest ultrasound technology and IOLs that offer better visual potential than standard IOLs. Doctors at the Herzig Eye Institute will consult with the patient to determine the best Advanced Refractive Cataract Solution for the individual patient.
The Herzig Eye Institute is dedicated to providing the most recent technological advancements for Advanced Refractive Cataract Surgery to increase a patient's potential of regaining their full range of vision, including reading vision, by utilizing presbyopic and multifocal IOLs that simulate the youthful, natural lens. 85-90% of patients are completely glasses free following Advanced Refractive Cataract Surgery.
Careful patient selection is necessary to determine which patients are good candidates for a multifocal IOL. For those who are not candidates, the Herzig Eye Institute offers more advanced high definition monofocal IOLs, either an aspheric IOL that provides superior vision under dimmer light conditions or a toric IOL that corrects astigmatism thereby again reducing or eliminating the need for glasses for distance.
Prior to the procedure, the patient's eye is made numb with eye drops to ensure little or no discomfort at all during the procedure. An intravenous tranquilizer is given for complete relaxation. Using a gentle instrument to make a small incision, the old, clouded lens is removed and replaced with a new intraocular lens. Cataract surgery is relatively pain-free. Recovery is fast and vision is greatly improved, greatly reducing and even eliminating the patient's need to wear glasses.
With new advancements in Advanced Refractive Cataract Surgery, most cataract patients will have better vision after surgery than they had before they developed a cataract.
These exciting innovations are not covered by OHIP and are generally not available in hospitals. However, should the patient choose to have the cataract removed in the hospital rather than at the Herzig Eye Institute, they can feel confident that they will still receive the best possible care using the technology available at the hospital.
About the Herzig Eye Institute:
The Herzig Eye Institute has treated thousands of patients from across Canada, 42 US states and 23 countries worldwide. Dr. Herzig, a world-renowned expert in his field, is past president of the Canadian Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons and prepared the Recommended Safety Guidelines for Laser Refractive Centres in Canada. Herzig Eye Institute's High Definition Vision
® solutions utilize only the most advanced vision correction technology such as VISX
® Wavefront technology (now combined with IntraLase
® and called iLASIK
TM) as well as other proven intraocular surgical procedures for patients who do not qualify for laser surgery. The Herzig Eye Institute also offers treatments for presbyopia including NearVision CK, Monovision LASIK, the Refractive Lens Exchange, the Implantable Contact Lens (ICL), as well as providing Advanced Cataract Solutions. The Herzig Eye Institute is the only custom vision correction surgical centre in North America to be awarded the prestigious ISO 9001 certification by SGS International Certification Services, Inc.