Everyone is born with a clear natural lens that sits behind one’s pupil. The lens is made of water and proteins. Around age 40, the lens begins to stiffen in a process known as presbyopia. Many people begin to notice that their reading vision worsens at this time. The lens continues to stiffen every subsequent year and by 50 it starts to become cloudy. A cloudy lens is what we call a cataract.

Age–related cataracts are the most common cause of blindness. In fact, by age 80, more than half of all Americans either have a cataract or have had cataract surgery.

These cataracts develop slowly as the result of years of exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light that breaks down the natural lens proteins. Breakdown of the lens material leads to deterioration in vision. Changes happen so slowly that patients often do not realize that their quality of vision has diminished.

While cataracts are commonly associated with aging, they sometimes develop in younger patients and children. These types of cataracts typically develop more quickly and have other associated causes. Diabetes is another common risk factor. Diabetic patients are 2-5 times more at risk of developing cataracts at an earlier age.

Other risk factors include:

• family history

• smoking

• heavy air pollution

• alcohol use

• medications like steroids

• upper body radiation treatments

• trauma to or surgery of the eye

• spending a great deal of time in the sun without eye protection.

Symptoms include blurry vision, difficulty seeing at night, needing more light to see well when reading, seeing double or distorted images, seeing faded or yellowed colors, sensitivity to light, and halos around lights.

If you’re experiencing symptoms, Dr. Logothetis will perform a comprehensive eye exam to establish the etiology of your visual complaints and identify relevant eye pathology. This exam includes a measurement of your glasses prescription (refraction), dilation of your pupils to see the entire posterior segment of your eye, and a detailed analysis of the anterior segment of your eye using a microscope known as a slit lamp. Surgery is only recommended when Dr. Logothetis believes that you have a cataract whose removal will alleviate a subjective complaint you may have regarding your vision.

If Dr. Logothetis diagnoses cataracts, it does not necessarily mean you require surgery. Often, he recommends observing the cataracts over time and simply changing your prescription eyeglasses. Dr. Logothetis places significant value on listening to a patient’s complaints to decide if removing a cataract will truly resolve their issues.

Ultimately, when your cataracts cause significant vision loss, he will recommend cataract surgery. Surgery is the only way to remove cataracts and restore vision. Cataract surgery is a safe and effective low-risk outpatient procedure with complication rates less than 1%. More importantly, in the context of cataract surgery, a complication means something that may require a second trip to the operating room. In the majority of these rare cases, patients still do well and find they’ve had significant improvement to their quality of vision compared to before surgery.

Cataract surgery involves the removal of your cloudy lens and replacing it with a new lens known as an IOL (intraocular lens implant). There are many types of IOLs and Dr. Logothetis takes care to decide which is best for each individual patient. Keep in mind that cataract surgery is performed on one eye at a time. If you have cataracts in both eyes, you will need two surgeries a few weeks apart to provide time for healing while avoiding interfering with your ability to perform your daily activities.

Currently, Dr. Logothetis operates out of Advocate Condell Medical Center utilizing their same day operating room suite. Most patients have an IV established by the anesthesiology team to facilitate light “twilight” sedation. You will also receive anesthetic eye drops before the procedure so that you will not feel any pain or discomfort. Dr. Logothetis prides himself on creating an efficient and smooth experience for his patients.

Your cataract will be removed by a process known as a phacoemulsification. This involves the use of a high frequency ultrasound probe to break down and aspirate the old lens material. This technique allows for quick recovery and rarely requires sutures. Some surgeons choose to use an alternative method of cataract surgery called FLACS (femto-second assisted cataract surgery). While Dr. Logothetis has both trained and been certified in this method, he has found that the use of the laser did not add any benefit to his surgical technique or patient outcomes. Therefore he continues to use the most commonly chosen technique of phacoemulsification.

After surgery, you will receive complete postoperative instructions. Initially, you may feel discomfort, light sensitivity, blurred vision, and eye watering. You will need to use prescribed eyedrops to promote healing and minimize risk of infection. It can take up to one month for the eye to heal, but your vision will improve within days or weeks.

Once you have cataract surgery you should not need it again. However, sometimes cloudiness can occur behind the artificial lens within weeks to months after surgery. This is easily treated with a one-minute procedure called a posterior capsulotomy using a laser in clinic. Within a day your vision will clear once again.