Benefits of Advanced Cataract Techniques

As we get older, we get wrinkles, grey hair, and cataracts – the lens of our eye clouds over as a natural part of aging. It’s no wonder then, that the practice of cataract surgery has been around a long time. The first record of cataract surgery dates back to around 600 BC, in fact, carried out by an ancient Indian physician named Suśruta. At the time the clouded lens was typically dislodged to the back of the eye using blunt force.  

Surgical eye treatment has since come a long way. The first documented surgical removal of a cataract from the eye occurred in 1748 using a large incision in Paris. In 1949 Harold Ridley was the first ophthalmologist to implant and artificial intraocular lens (IOL) following cataract removal in London. The next major step in surgery was introduced In 1967, when Charles Kelman introduced Phacoemulsification, a novel concept of removing a cataract using a small incision using ultrasound energy. In the past few decades marvellous improvements in technique, technology and IOL design has meant that modern cataract surgery is performed quickly, with smaller incisions, faster recovery times, and less risk of complication.

But where is cataract technology these days? If you need to get cataract surgery in New Zealand, what can you expect?

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Recent developments in cataract surgery

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Modern ataract surgery is nowthe most commonly performed procedure in the modern world. It typically requires no stitches and has a fast healing time – with many patients returning to normal activity within a day or two. 

Modern cataract surgery also requires no needles or topical anaesthetic drops. This means there is no need to use an eye pad after the operation, and visual recovery is short, commonly only one or two hours. 

Over the past few years new technology has been introduced to ensure that after safe cataract removal the eye is implanted with a custom designed lens that offers patients the fantastic vision over a range of distances. 

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What to expect from cataract surgery at Re:Vision

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As a leading provider of cataract surgery in Auckland, we use premier intraocular cataract lens (IOLs), including astigmatism-reducing or toric IOLs, and depth-of-focus enhancing or multifocal and blended-vision IOLs. These lenses often add a whole new freedom of vision without glasses.

‍What’s more, every New Zealand insurance company covers cataract surgery. As an Affiliated Provider with Southern Cross Healthcare, Re:Vision has a simple automatic approval process. Our friendly staff will help to make the whole process stress-free, including helping our self-funding patients with easy payment plans if desired, to help managing the cataract surgery cost.

Re:Vision also strives to provide the best aftercare possible. Once your treatment is complete, we’ll help you relax and recover. Our team will also stay in contact following the operation to ensure everything is healing as it should.

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The future of cataract treatment

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The future of cataract treatment is very bright indeed. Currently, there is research underway to attempt slowing or even reversing the clouding of the eye, meaning surgery may not be the only option in the future.

For now, however, surgery is the best option we have, and the procedures we use have been continually improved upon for generations. To find out more about cataract surgery, contact us here at Re:Vision Sight Correction Centre, and see what you’ve been missing!