Everything You Always Wanted to Know About CATARACTS * *but

PREMIER ISSUE
Everything You Always Wanted
to Know About CATARACTS*
*but didn’t know who to ask
www.DrKerrySolomon.com
CONTENTS
4
What is a Cataract?
7
How do I find a Good
Cataract Doctor?
8
What Should I Expect
When I See the Doctor?
10
Am I Ready for Cataract Surgery?
12
Why There’s Never Been a Better
Time to Have Cataracts
14
Is That TRUE?
Myths About Cataracts
15
Bringing Tomorrow’s Technology
to TODAY’s Patients
Issue 1.1
Publisher
William B. Rabourn, Jr.
Medical Consulting Group, LLC
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Springfield, MO 65804
(417) 889-2040
Editor-in-Chief
Kerry D. Solomon, M.D.
Associate Editor
Cheryl Espinosa
Art Director
Paul Johnson
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FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK
W
elcome to the premier issue of
The iReport, a quarterly magazine
devoted to news and information on
vision care. You have been selected to receive
a complimentary subscription to The iReport.*
This premier issue is devoted to exploration
of cataracts…what they are, common signs of
a cataract, and what people should expect to
happen when a doctor examines their eyes,
as well as when they have surgery. You may
be particularly interested in “Is That TRUE?”,
which addresses three myths about cataracts,
and I think you may be surprised to learn
“Why There’s Never Been a Better Time to
Have Cataracts.” I hope you take time to read
“Tomorrow’s Eyecare Technology TODAY,”
a brief overview of exciting research studies
being conducted right here in Charleston.
The staff of The iReport invites your feedback
on this premier issue. Please e-mail
[email protected] with your
comments, questions, and suggestions. If you
send us the names of friends and family that
you think would be interested in receiving The
iReport, we will be happy to send them a free
subscription.
Our next issue will focus on presbyopia (loss
of reading vision) and how premium lifestyle
lens implants are making reading glasses and
bifocals obsolete.
Kerry D. Solomon, M.D.
Editor-in-Chief
*Your subscription to The iReport is (and will always
be) absolutely FREE.
THE iREPORT / CAROLINA EYECARE PHYSICIANS • 3
What is a
Cataractous
Lens
F
irst, let’s talk
about what a
cataract is not.
A cataract is NOT a cloudy
film on or near the surface
of the eye. It’s NOT
uncommon, either.
What is a
cataract?
Simply put, a cataract is a
clouding of the lens, located
inside of the eye. Light enters
CATARACT?
the eye and passes through
its lens, which focuses that
light on the retina at the back
of the eye. When a lens is
clouded, it interferes with
how the light passes through
it, in much the same way that
fingerprints or smears on a
window interfere with your
view of what is on the other
side of the glass. Some people
have described their vision with
cataracts as “looking at the
world through waxed paper.”
4 • THE iREPORT / CAROLINA EYECARE PHYSICIANS
What causes
this clouding of
the lens?
Time.
If you live long enough, you
will almost certainly develop
cataracts. They are part of
the normal aging process,
although a cataract can
happen to anyone, even
a baby.
Studies suggest accumulated
exposure to ultraviolet light
causes the natural lens
to cloud, and that certain
lifestyle choices and relatively
common health conditions,
like diabetes, hasten cataract
development.
Could a
cataract be the
cause of MY
vision problem?
Perhaps.
Cataracts do NOT generally
cause pain, discomfort,
redness, discharge, or
sudden, alarming vision
changes that would lead you
to seek immediate medical
care. Rather, the changes
caused by cataracts generally
develop so slowly that you
don’t notice them until they
are serious enough to affect
your normal lifestyle.
Not all cataracts require
surgery. However, when
you feel that your vision is
interfering with your quality of
life, and glasses or contacts
no longer help, it may be
time to act.
Ask yourself
these questions:
Is my life passing by
in a blur?
Clouded, blurred vision may
mean that you have cataracts.
How old are these
glasses?
new glasses do not do
the trick, it may be time
to schedule a cataract
evaluation.
How’s my driving?
Cataracts can make driving
(particularly driving at night)
more difficult, because they
change the way the eye
handles bright lights. Glare
may have become a problem,
and the lights of oncoming
cars may be making it harder
to read road signs.
Reflect back on how often
your eyeglass prescription
has changed over the years.
Have you needed new
glasses more often recently?
Are your new glasses
really doing the trick?
Perhaps difficulty
reading, particularly
in low-light situations,
trying to decipher
small print on a TV
screen, or inability to
recognize the face
of a friend on the
other side of a large
room, has spurred
you to pick up the
phone and make
another appointment
with your eyecare
professional for
yet another new
prescription for
KERRY SOLOMON, M.D.
eyeglasses. If the
THE iREPORT / CAROLINA EYECARE PHYSICIANS • 5
Driving skill can be a sensitive
subject, and you may be too
close to the situation to see
how well (or poorly) you are
driving. Your passengers may
be more aware of your “close
calls” than you are…ask them
if they’ve noticed a change
in your ability to drive. Others
may have already told you
that they don’t feel safe, or
that they fear for your safety,
when you are behind the
wheel. Listen to them.
How’s my golf (or
tennis) game?
Is my world a smaller
place now?
It’s not uncommon for
someone with cataracts to
complain that they can no
longer follow the progress
of their golf ball…that it just
blends in with the sky…or
that they are having trouble
keeping an eye on their tennis
ball. If are you losing track of
your ball after you serve or tee
off and that’s teeing you off,
you may have a cataract.
So, let’s say that you are
indeed experiencing some
of these difficulties. If a vision
problem has made a favorite
activity (golf, tennis, playing
cards, reading, quilting,
etc.) more frustrating than
pleasurable, you are more
likely to quit doing it…if you
haven’t already. With every
activity and every hobby you
reluctantly leave behind, your
world becomes a little smaller.
Are those roses
REALLY pink?
A cataract can make
vibrant colors look
dull or washed
out. Because this
change occurs so
gradually, you may
not realize that the
colors of various articles
of clothing clash, that your
shoes or socks don’t match,
or that those pink roses are
actually red. Look around. If
your world looks more
pastel than it did a
few years ago, a
cataract (rather
than the latest
fashion trend) may
be responsible.
6 • THE iREPORT / CAROLINA EYECARE PHYSICIANS
Staying active is an important
part of maintaining a healthy
body and mental attitude…
your keys to remaining
independent. If you suspect
you have a cataract, why
not pick up the phone
and schedule a cataract
evaluation? If the problem
is a cataract, appropriate
treatment can help you
expand your world again.
Even if you think you do
not have a cataract, you
should seek medical
attention if you are
having troublesome eye
symptoms. It’s time to
see your eye doctor.
How do I find a
GOOD CATARACT DOCTOR?
I
t’s not all that
difficult to find
a good cataract
doctor, but these are YOUR
eyes, YOUR vision, YOUR
life…so you want the BEST
cataract surgeon you can find!
Ask friends and family
You probably know people
who have had cataract surgery.
Ask them who performed
their procedures and whether
they would recommend that
surgeon. Were they pleased
with the way they were treated
by the surgeon and his (or
her) staff? Are they happy with
their results?
Ask an eye care
professional
Ask the eyecare professionals
in your area which cataract
surgeons they recommend.
While you are at it, ask for
the name of their “go to”
cataract surgeon…the one
they rely on to take care of
an unusual or difficult case,
or to work with a patient who
has developed a complication
after cataract surgery.
Practice makes perfect
Well, not “perfect,” perhaps,
but a cataract surgeon who
has had more opportunity to
perfect his or her technique is
likely to be more skilled than
a surgeon who has had less
“practice.” More skill means
better outcomes, and that’s
what you want, so ask how
many cataracts the surgeon
has removed. The more the
better, but the number should
be in the thousands.
Ask about technology
Technological advances
have given cataract patients
many options that can
affect vision quality after
surgery. Some surgeons
are more comfortable with
new technology than others.
Make sure that you have
access to these options by
selecting a surgeon who has
experience with premium
“lifestyle” replacement lens
implants that could reduce
your dependence on reading
glasses or bifocals.
It’s not unusual for one or two
names to surface more often
than others. When you settle
on one, it’s time to make the
call to schedule a cataract
consultation.
The next issue of The iReport
will focus on what premium
lifestyle replacement
lens technology can do for
YOUR focus!
THE iREPORT / CAROLINA EYECARE PHYSICIANS • 7
WHATSHOULDIEXPECT
whenIseethe
Doctor?
You’veprobablyneverhadan
eyeexamthat’sthisthorough!
The cataract
consultation
I
t generally takes about
two hours for the doctor,
usually assisted by
specially trained technicians, to
gather all of the data needed and
discuss the results and options
with you and family members.
You will be asked what medicines
you are taking, whether you have
any allergies, the details of your
medical history, as well as the
history of your eyes’ health.
Your evaluation will include a
“dilated” eye exam…the type that
makes your eye sensitive to light
for a few hours. Some people are
able to drive themselves home,
but many bring a driver with them.
After your eyes are dilated, your
doctor may use a variety of hightech equipment, such as a “slit
lamp” microscope and OCT
(Optical Coherence Tomography),
to get a good view of the eye’s
retina and optic nerve. He (or
she) will also perform what’s
called “refraction,” the same test
used to determine your eyeglass
prescription and your best
possible vision under a variety
of lighting conditions. He’ll take
computerized measurements
8 • THE iREPORT / CAROLINA EYECARE PHYSICIANS
of your cornea (the clear
covering of the front of
your eye). Cataract surgery
involves replacing the eye’s
clouded natural lens with a
crystal clear lens implant,
and your cataract evaluation
includes testing and
measurements that ensure
that the replacement lens is
a good fit for your eye.
Your doctor will review all
of this information and then
meet with you to discuss
your treatment options. If
he recommends surgery,
you and the doctor will also
review your replacement lens
options and answer all of
your questions.
If you decide to have surgery,
you will probably meet with
the member of the team
who coordinates scheduling
surgery and follow-up
appointments. This individual
can also answer many of
your questions. Then you
will be given the information
you need to prepare for the
day of surgery, as well as
instructions for caring for
yourself after surgery.
This routine may vary slightly
from office to office, but
one thing is consistent:
a good cataract surgeon
will make sure you have
ample opportunity to ask
questions and get the
answers you need to
make a good decision.
Don’t wait.
CORNEAL TOPOGRAPHY
If you suspect that you
have a cataract, it’s a good
idea to schedule a cataract
consultation, even if you
don’t feel quite ready for
surgery yet. Why? Simply
being examined for cataracts
can help protect the health
of your vision.
Your evaluation may detect
more than cataracts. Eye
diseases like glaucoma
and macular degeneration
are “silent,” meaning that
they don’t cause pain or
alarming symptoms that
would prompt you to seek
medical attention. They
often go untreated because
people don’t realize there is
a problem until they begin
to lose vision…vision that
they probably won’t
be able to get back. If you
have developed glaucoma
or macular degeneration
since your last eye exam,
your cataract evaluation
may give you the “heads-up”
you need to get treatment
before these silent thieves
steal your vision.
IfyouhaveGLAUCOMA...
If you have controlled or moderately-uncontrolled glaucoma,
you now have one more very important reason to be checked
for cataracts. Recent research suggests that removing a
cataract may lower pressure within that eye and reduce the
need for the eye drop medication used to treat glaucoma.
THE iREPORT / CAROLINA EYECARE PHYSICIANS • 9
Am I ready for
cataract surgery?
These are YOUR eyes...
This is YOUR decision.
10 • THE iREPORT / CAROLINA EYECARE PHYSICIANS
S
o, you’ve been
thoroughly evaluated
and the doctor
confirms that you do indeed
have a cataract. Does this
mean that you should have
surgery right away?
Not necessarily. The doctor
probably asked you how
cataracts have affected your
lifestyle and your ability to
remain active and engaged
with what’s going on around
you. He (or she) wants you
to think about the extent
to which cataracts have
changed your life…because
you are the only one who can
say whether these changes
are acceptable.
Some things to
consider…
•
Your lifestyle depends on having the good vision you need to stay active and continue participating in activities you enjoy.
How many activities have you given up? Is there less joy in your life?
Are you planning an active retirement? Or are you postponing retirement?
•
Do you want to travel?
Will you have the vision you need to carry out
your plans?
•
Has your physical or mental health deteriorated because of the unwelcome changes cataracts have brought to your life?
How uncomfortable does this situation make you?
How much more time are you willing to spend living with deteriorating vision?
Tick-tock.
Are you fed up with reading
glasses and bifocals?
The desire to reduce dependence on glasses is not in itself a good reason to have cataract surgery. For many people, however, cataract surgery •
presents an opportunity to take advantage of new technology that may accomplish that goal.
•
If you don’t feel ready for
surgery just yet, your doctor
can still help you to improve
or maintain your vision by
changing your eyeglass
prescription. In fact, some
people who have cataracts
do quite well with stronger
glasses and never feel the
need for surgery.
THE MORE YOU KNOW,
THE BETTER YOU WILL FEEL
It’s perfectly natural to be nervous
about undergoing any type of
surgery, particularly when it
involves your eyes. However, many
people find that being evaluated
for cataracts and having the
opportunity to get answers to all
of their questions can be quite
helpful in lessening this anxiety.
THE iREPORT / CAROLINA EYECARE PHYSICIANS • 11
WHY There Has Never
Been a Better Time
to Have Cataracts
Cataract
surgery is
nothing new…
Cataracts have been a
fact of life throughout
recorded history. The first
known written references to
cataracts appeared nearly
2,000 years ago. The earliest
description we have of
attempts to “cure” a cataract
is from India in the 6th
century B.C. Archeologists
working in Babylonia, Greece
and Egypt have found bronze
instruments that they believe
were used for cataract
surgery. These crude,
dangerous and ineffective
ancient techniques give
us some indication of how
desperate physicians and
their patients were to regain
vision lost to cataracts.
Even as recently as a
generation or so ago, surgery
to remove a cataract required
a large (10 – 12 mm) incision,
12 • THE iREPORT / CAROLINA EYECARE PHYSICIANS
a hospital stay, and a lengthy
recovery period. The clouded
lens had been removed, so
vision was clear, but without
a lens, it was unfocused.
As a result, most patients
spent their remaining years
wearing special contact
lenses or glasses with thick
“coke-bottle” lenses. It’s not
surprising that many people
postponed cataract surgery
as long as possible, or
avoided it altogether.
…but this
isn’t your
grandparents’
cataract surgery
An exciting revolution in
cataract surgery began in
1967, with the introduction
of a technique that uses
ultrasonic waves to break
up the cataract so it could
be removed without
making a large incision.
When this change became
widely available, it made
the extended hospital stay
unnecessary and shortened
recovery time. Artificial
replacement lenses became
widely available. When
rolled up, the lens could be
implanted through the same
small (2 – 3 mm) incision
through which the cataract
had been removed. Once
in the eye, the lens could
unfurl and return to its
normal shape.
Cataract
Surgery TODAY
In the 40 or so years since
then, a great deal of research
has gone into refining the
instruments, the ultrasonic
equipment, the replacement
lens implants, and the
surgical techniques involved
in modern cataract surgery.
As a result, a cataract patient
can expect better results than
even five years ago.
Approximately 3 million
cataracts will be removed
this year in the United States
alone. The vast majority of
these procedures will be
performed on an outpatient
basis, often in state-of-the-art
surgery facilities designed
specifically for eye surgery.
The surgeons who perform
these procedures will be
using a high-magnification
microscope and very small
instruments. The incision will
be small, too…so small, in
fact, that stitches are rarely
necessary. The procedure
will be quite comfortable,
because the eye will be
numbed by anesthetic drops,
and it will be over and done
before you know it. Many of
these patients will experience
an almost immediate
improvement in their vision.
An hour or two after the
procedure, they will walk out
of the surgery center to be
driven home, where they will
recover very quickly.
It’s safe to say that there has
never been a better time to
have cataracts!
Now, cloudy
vision has a
silver lining
Coke-bottle cataract glasses
have been obsolete for some
time now. Thanks to new
technology, reading glasses
and bifocals may someday
be considered dinosaurs, too.
New-generation replacement
lens implants make it possible
to correct the presbyopia (loss
of close vision) that makes
reading glasses a must-have
item for most of us after age
40 or so. Cataract patients
who opt for an advanced
technology replacement lens
have a chance to recapture a
full range of seamless, more
youthful vision for seeing
life up-close, far away, and
everywhere in-between!
The next issue of The
iReport will focus on what
this amazing technology can
do for YOUR focus! Watch
for your copy in the mail.
THE iREPORT / CAROLINA EYECARE PHYSICIANS • 13
IS THAT TRUE?
Myths About Cataracts
The longer you wait, the harder
it will be to remove it.
This is SO not true.
If you decide to postpone surgery now, you
can always change your mind later...no harm,
no foul. Of course, the longer you wait, the
longer you’ll have cloudy vision, but waiting
will not make your cataract more difficult
to remove.
You’ve got to wait until it’s “ripe” enough to
remove or until the doctor says it’s time.
When it comes to deciding when it’s time
for surgery, the ball is in your court, not the
doctor’s. He (or she) can give you an expert
opinion and good advice, but your cataract
will be “ripe” when you say it is. That’s
because you are the only one who can really
see what it’s like to live with your cataracts.
The eye drop “cure”
The Internet has provided a largely
unregulated marketplace for those who sell
ineffective treatments for everything from
baldness to cataracts. The sellers’ claims
are impressive: eye drops that supposedly
“dissolve” cataracts within several months.
No prescription necessary…just CLICK
HERE and enter your credit card number.
14 • THE iREPORT / CAROLINA EYECARE PHYSICIANS
No matter how sophisticated these
claims may seem, a cataract (the
clouding of the eye’s natural
lens) cannot be treated with eye
drops of any type because it is
situated within the eye, behind
the iris and the pupil…not on or
near the surface of the eye.
Bringing Tomorrow’s Technology
to TODAY’s Patients
R
esearch that
will shape the
next generation
of cataract surgery and
treatments for other eyerelated problems is taking
place right now in the
Lowcountry!
Dr. Kerry Solomon, Director
of Carolina Eyecare
Research Institute, tells of its
commitment to advancing the
field of ophthalmology with
progressive, groundbreaking
studies. “The things we learn
from these studies improve
not only our patients’ quality
of life here in Charleston
and the Lowcountry, but
also around the world,” he
says. “Our goal is to bring
tomorrow’s technology to
today’s patients.”
One study currently taking
place at Carolina Eyecare
Research Institute involves
a laser system that may
someday replace current
ultrasound technology used
to perform cataract surgery.
Another study evaluates new
eye drops that may speed
healing after cataract surgery.
Cataract patients enrolled in
these studies are indeed
benefitting from tomorrow’s
technology today.
learn if you are a candidate,
visit Dr. Solomon’s website
(www.DrKerrySolomon.com)
and click on the “Research
Institute” tab.
Are you a candidate for one
of the clinical trials taking
place at Carolina Eyecare
Research Institute? Ask
Dr. Helga Sandovol at
(843) 722-2010, or submit
your name and phone number
by using the contact form
on the Institute’s
web page.
Other studies currently
underway focus on
improved LASIK
technology and new
treatments for glaucoma
and “dry eye.”
If you are
interested in
learning more
about any of
these ongoing
studies, or to
THE iREPORT / CAROLINA EYECARE PHYSICIANS • 15
Check it Out!
Do you want to learn more about the
symptoms of cataracts? Visit
www.DrKerrySolomon.com and take
the Cataract Quiz.
While you are visiting the website, you may
want to explore other topics:
Read what patients who have had cataract surgery have to say
• View the cataract video
• Take the Cataract Photo Tour
• Learn about other common eye problems
• Use the “Contact Us” form to request
more information
• Join the Twitter conversation
•
Coming in the Next Issue
This issue of The iReport touches only briefly on the
subject of new replacement lens technology that may
make reading glasses and bifocals obsolete. That’s
because our next issue is all about the premium “lifestyle”
replacement lens implants that make it possible to
correct presbyopia and cataracts with one procedure.
Watch for your copy in the mail!
1280 Johnnie Dodds Blvd., Ste 100
East Cooper Medical Arts Center
Mt. Pleasant, SC 29464
The Chicago Tribune recently featured Dr. Solomon
in an article, “The Next Frontier in Cataracts”. Visit
his website…www.drkerrysolomon.com…to read it!
2060 Charlie Hall Blvd., Suite 201
Charleston, SC 29414
2861 Tricom Street
North Charleston, SC 29406
(843) 881-EYES (3937)
www.DrKerrySolomon.com
©2010 Medical Consulting Group, L.L.C.