Cataract Surgery

Cataract surgery is one of the most common procedures performed in the United States and worldwide.

Dr. Ali as a general ophthalmologist specializes in cataract surgery. Read below to see what to expect with surgery.

Cataract and Cataract Surgery

Top left: a schematic of the eye showing the location of the lens in the anterior segment of the eye. An incision is made through the cornea in order to make an opening in the anterior part of the lens and remove the cataract with ultrasound energy.

Bottom left: A slit lamp photo of a cortical cataract, which can cause significant glare while driving at night.

Top right: A slit lamp photo of a nuclear sclerotic cataract, which is the most common type of age related cataract.

Bottom right: After cataract surgery, the lens implant has developed posterior capsule opacification, which can lead to some of the same symptoms as cataract surgery. This is treated with Yttrium-Aluminum Garnet (YAG) laser as an outpatient.

After an opening is made in the anterior capsule, the phacoemulsification handpiece (gray) is introduced into the eye to break the large, 10-12mm cataract into small pieces using ultrasound energy and then remove it though the small 2.4mm incision.

A foldable lens implant is inserted through the small incision and unfolds once it is in its intended place of implantation, usually inside the posterior capsule.

What is a cataract?

A cataract is a clouding of the natural lens in the eye. When you are born, the lens is clear, and at age 40, normal lens proteins begin to break down. This is a very slow process, and usually, people do not need surgery until well after age 60. Factors that can accelerate the rate of cataract development include diabetes, use of steroids, and trauma to the eye.

When is surgery right for me?

Common symptoms of cataract surgery include glare while driving at night, trouble reading small print and filling out forms even with proper lighting and up to date glasses, and trouble doing fine tasks such as baiting a fish hook and threading a needle.

Dr. Ali will examine your entire eye health to determine if cataract surgery is best for you and will likely result in an improvement in vision.

Catarat surgery will not improve vision lost due to diabetic retinopathy, macular degeneration, or glaucoma.

What does surgery pre-op involve?

Pre-operatively, every patient needs to get specialized testing done in the office. These measurements allow Dr. Ali to implant the best choice lens for your eye.

The pre-operative visit also requires going through your list of medications and discussing eye drops that you will need to use before and after surgery to ensure optimal healing after your surgery.

What happens on the day of surgery?

Cataract surgery is performed in an outpatient surgery center with the patient awake under mild sedation. Please see the link below for a list of the surgery centers Dr. Ali operates at.

A small, 2.4mm incision is made, and the cataract is removed using ultrasound energy (phacoemulsification). A new lens is implanted in the same space the previous lens was located (within the posterior capsule)

The surgery itself usually takes 30-45 minutes or less. The patients spends about 3 hours at the surgery center for registration, dilation of the eye prior to surgery, surgery itself, and to make sure post operatively, the patient is feeling well.

What are the risks of cataract surgery?

Dr. Ali will talk to you at length about risks and benefits of surgery. Risks include

Weakness or tear in the posterior capsule requiring placement of the new intraocular lens in a different space than planned – this may require a longer surgery or a second surgery (risk of posterior capsular tear is 1/100)
Vision loss due to infection in the eye (the risk of infection in the eye 1/2500

Can my cataract come back after surgery?

Microscopic lens cells can proliferate (similar to how skin cells proliferate to create scar tissue on a wound) and opacify the posterior capsule. This can cause symptoms of cataract to recur. This happens in about 20-50% of eyes that have undergone surgery anywhere from 3 months to many, many years after surgery.

Where does Dr. Ali operate?

Texas Health Midtown Address: 2001 West Rosedale Street, Fort Worth, TX 76014. Phone: 817-877-4777
Texas Health Park Hill Address: 3455 Locke Avenue, Fort Worth, TX 76017. Phone: 817-585-1900
Medical City Fort Worth. Address: 900 8th Ave, Fort Worth, TX 76014