Cataracts happen when the usually-clear lenses inside a person's eye become cloudy and opaque. This often happens with age. At the Eye Care Specialists of Florida, our ophthalmology team, led by Florida eye doctor Dr. Saira A. Choudhri, have helped hundreds of patients find relief from their blurry vision with quality cataract surgery in Kissimmee. Interestingly, we've even helped some of our patients find relief from their astigmatism, too.
Astigmatism is common and can lead to blurry vision at near and far distances. It's caused by irregularities within the shape of a person's cornea and/or lens (the cornea is the clear dome-like structure that covers the colored part of the eye, and the lens is the clear disc-like shape located directly behind the pupil).
Astigmatism and cataracts aren't directly related, but because both are so common, many people will have both conditions at the same time. Doctors know that LASIK eye surgery can fix astigmatism but can't fix cataracts. However, it is possible for cataract surgery to fix astigmatism!
When an eye surgeon removes a cataract during cataract surgery, the damaged lens can be replaced with a special kind of intraocular lens (IOL) called a toric lens. This lens has a gradient of different "refracting powers" to help correct the way light focuses on the retinas.
The advantage of a toric IOL compared to simply toric contact lenses is that the toric IOL is securely implanted within a person's eye. Contact lenses can move when a person blinks, and also add the slight inconvenience of daily donning, doffing, and cleaning. While the surgical toric lens placement is more expensive compared to both contact lenses and traditional cataract surgery, many people find the convenience and vision-correction quality to be well worth the investment.
Astigmatism can also be corrected during cataract surgery via a technique known as limbal relaxing incisions. These incisions are made near the outer edge of the corneas which helps the corneas achieve a more symmetrical and spherical shape.
Are you struggling with eyesight changes and blurry vision because of cataracts and astigmatism? Contact our eye care team today to schedule a consultation for eye surgery in Kissimmee by calling (407) 483-0328.