Cataract Awareness

20.5 million Americans over the age of 40 have cataracts - one of the most curable causes of vision loss.  And the surgery to remove them is one of the safest and effective.

"You get almost instant return of vision," said Dr. Ivan Baumwell of Sewickley Eye Group and the Ohio Valley General Hospital Cataract and Eye Surgery Center, adding that the surgery has a 98% success rate.

A cataract is not a growth.  Painless and slow forming, cataracts cloud the eye's normally clear lens.  As they develop, they block the passage of light required for vision.

"Now, we don't hesitate to offer cataract surgery to people who feel that they are ready for it," said Dr. Baumwell, dispelling the age-old rumor that a cataract must be "ripe," or when the entire lens is opaque,  before it is removed.

Dr. Ivan Baumwell of Sewickley Eye Group and the Ohio Valley General Hospital Cataract and Eye Surgery Center.

Decades ago, cataract surgery meant a 2-week stay in the hospital with your head immobilized in sandbags. Recovery time was much longer and the only way to rehabilitate vision was with thick "cataract glasses."

"It really wasn't worth going through until you were virtually blind from the cataract," said Dr. Baumwell.

Now cataracts are removed through a procedure called phacoemulsification.  The cataract is liquefied so that it can be delicately sucked through a self-sealing incision that is one-tenth of an inch or less in length.  A new, clear lens is surgically implanted.  It's a fairly quick procedure, usually lasting no more than 15 minutes.

Patients are awake during the surgery with intravenous sedation that is monitored by an anesthesiologist.  Following the surgery, there are very little restrictions.

"The day of surgery, we ask that patients take it easy because of the sedation.  We see them the day after, and they can resume normal activity," he explained.  Patients usually are able to bend or lift, but they shouldn't swim for two weeks.

The American Academy of Ophthalmology suggests that if you think you have a cataract, and it is interfering with your lifestyle, you don't have to live with it.  Talk to your eye doctor about your options.

How do you know if you have a cataract?

• Gradual painless blurring of vision
• Double vision in one eye or fading or yellowing of colors
• Sensitivity to glare and/or bright light while driving at night
• Frequent changes to glasses or contact lens prescription

For more information contact the Ohio Valley General Hospital Cataract and Eye Surgery Center at 412-777-4300 or visit www.ohiovalleyhospital.org. Online appointments are available.