What is a cataract?
A cataract is a clouding of the natural lens in the eye that decreases vision. The lens of the eye is much like the lens of a camera that focuses light on the retina at the back of the eye.

Who gets cataracts?
Everyone eventually gets cataracts. Most cataracts are related to aging and are very common in elderly people. Cataracts generally start around 60 years of age and progressively worsen over years. Cataracts are also related to sun-exposure, smoking and diabetes. A cataract can occur in one or both eyes.

How do I know if I have a cataract?
- Cloudy or blurry vision.
- Colors seem faded.
- Glare. Headlights, lamps, or sunlight may appear too bright. A halo may appear around lights.
- Poor night vision.
- Double vision or multiple images
- Frequent prescription changes in your eyeglasses or contact lenses.

How are cataracts diagnosed?
Dr. Chu or an optometrist can diagnose your cataract through an eye examination.

How are cataracts treated?
Cataracts require removal when they interfere with your vision and everyday functioning. The only way to remove cataracts is through surgery. Surgery involves removing the cloudy lens and replacing it with an artificial lens.

Is cataract surgery effective?
Cataract surgery is the most common surgery performed in the world. It is one of the safest and most effective surgeries. Approximately 95% of people have better vision after cataract surgery.

What are the risks of cataract surgery?
Complications in cataract surgery are rare. A serious complication may occur in 1 in 1000 patients. As with any surgery, cataract surgery poses risks, such as infection and bleeding. A serious complication can result in loss of vision.

What happens before surgery?
Specific tests need to be performed in the office to determine what type of intra-ocular lens is to be implanted into your eye. You will then get a date for your surgery and an instruction package with a prescription for eye drops. Please fill your prescription on the week of your surgery. You will start your eye drops as instructed 2 days before the surgery.

What happens on the day of surgery?
Your surgery will be performed at Chilliwack General Hospital. You will require a driver who can drive you to the hospital and help you when you leave the hospital. You will arrive about 1 hour before your surgery. Several drops and anesthetic gel will be instilled into the eye before your surgery. The surgery itself will take 10 -15 minutes. It should be entirely pain-free. Please inform us if you are claustrophobic. A clear plastic patch is placed over the eye afterwards.

What happens after surgery?
You should expect the operated eye to be temporarily light sensitive, gritty, teary, and slightly blurry. As the eye heals over the next 1-2 weeks, these symptoms will subside and the vision will improve very quickly. The eye shield is worn at night for the week. During the day, sunglasses or your normal glasses will help protect the eye. Continue your eye drops as instructed.

Will I require cataract surgery again in the same eye?
No. Approximately 10% of patients will develop some scar tissue behind the implant which will blur the vision several months to years after the surgery. It can be easily fixed with a YAG capsulotomy. It is a painless laser procedure done in the office that breaks up the scar tissue.

What is a YAG laser capsulotomy?
A laser that helps break up scar tissue that forms after cataract surgery.

Will it be painful?
No, the procedure lasts 1-2 minutes and is entirely painless.

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Cataract and Cornea Astigmatism Correction
Referred to as "the emerging standard" and a "triumphant moment in cataract surgery," the AcrySof® IQ Toric IOL corrects for cataracts with pre-existing astigmatism simultaneously by delivering more precise, predictable outcomes and quality distance vision—without the need for glasses following surgery.

The AcrySof® IQ Toric IOL may also eliminate, in many cases, the need for limbal relaxing incisions, a technique in which incisions are made at the edge of the cornea to cause it to heal in a more spherical shape. (Cornea: The clear, curved surface at the front of the eye through which light enters the eye. Along with the sclera, the cornea provides external protection for the eye.)

The latest in a long line of IOL innovations from Alcon, the new AcrySof® IQ Toric IOL takes the most trusted platform for precise astigmatism correction and adds the enhanced image quality of an aspheric lens. (Aspheric Lens: An intraocular lens (IOL) that is designed to correct spherical aberrations (a change in curvature between the center and edge of your pupil that causes multiple focal points and blurry vision)).

Like the AcrySof® IQ ReSTOR® IOL, the AcrySof® IQ Toric IOL offers high energy blue light protection, ( Blue light has a wavelength of about 475 nanometers (nm) on the visible light spectrum). Some laboratory research suggests that high-energy blue light may lead to retinal damage and play a role in the onset of age-related macular degeneration. which shields your eyes not only from the harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays of sunlight but also from artificial lighting such as fluorescent light bulbs—both of which have been linked as possible contributors to cataracts.

For Cataract Eye Surgery
With more than 50 million implants in cataract surgeries worldwide, the AcrySof® family of lenses are the most frequently used intraocular lenses (IOLs) in the world, largely because physicians appreciate the long-term clinical results and unmatched stability.

The first multifocal IOL of its kind, the AcrySof® IQ ReSTOR® IOL draws upon decades of expertise and technology for an intraocular lens that truly helps cataract patients see it all—near, far, and everything in between—without the need for reading glasses or bifocals after surgery.

In a clinical trial, after having the AcrySof® IQ ReSTOR® IOL implanted in both eyes, at 6 months post-op, 78 percent of patients reported not needing glasses.

Nearly 94 percent of patients (implanted with the +3.0 D IOL) indicated that they would have the lenses implanted again, according to a patient satisfaction survey.

Here's what makes AcrySof® IQ ReSTOR® IOLs so unique:

The majority of modern IOLs are made from either silicone or a hard plastic called polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA), but AcrySof® IQ ReSTOR® IOL uses a soft, foldable acrylic, which makes implantation easier for the surgeon and more comfortable for the patient. A smaller incision also removes the need for stitches, providing faster recovery times and clearer, more youthful vision.With AcrySof® IQ ReSTOR® IOL, patients with both cataracts and presbyopia can have both conditions corrected at the same time, eliminating the need for spectacles after surgery in most patients.Many IOLs today offer ultraviolet (UV) light-filtering protection, as sunlight has long been suspected as a contributor to cataracts by damaging the retina. AcrySof® IQ ReSTOR® IOL offers similar filters, protecting your eyes from all high-energy blue light, which includes not only the sun's harmful rays but also artificial light such as fluorescent bulbs. Some laboratory research suggests that high-energy blue light may lead to retinal damage and play a role in the onset of age-related macular degeneration.

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Finally, the opportunity for freedom from reading glasses and bifocals, even if you have astigmatism.

Until recently, life without reading glasses or bifocals wasn't an option for most cataract patients with astigmatism . You now have that option. The AcrySof® IQ ReSTOR® Multifocal Toric IOLIntraocular lens (IOL): An artificial lens that is implanted in the eye during cataract surgery to replace the eye's clouded crystalline lens. is a unique technological innovation that can provide you with enhanced image quality and a full range of vision – near, far and everywhere in-between – for increased independence from reading glasses or bifocals!

In addition, the technology behind the AcrySof® IQ ReSTOR® Multifocal Toric IOL offers precise vision correction designed to reduce or eliminate your pre-existing corneal astigmatism.

What is astigmatism?
Astigmatism is a common vision problem, usually caused by an irregularly shaped cornea. Instead of having a round curvature like a basketball, the cornea is too steep or too flat, like a football. As a result, light rays are not focused at one spot on the retina (the transmitter located at the back of your eye that sends the images to your brain), and vision becomes distorted.

How is astigmatism treated?
If you have astigmatism, several options are available to correct the condition, including glasses, contact lenses and intraocular lenses. Contact your eye doctor to determine which option would be best for you. For cataract patients with astigmatism who are considering cataract surgery, an intraocular lens (such as the AcrySof® IQ Toric IOL or the AcrySof® IQ ReSTOR® Multifocal Toric IOL) is an excellent astigmatism treatment option.

AcrySof® IQ ReSTOR® Multifocal Toric IOL
A new option, the AcrySof® IQ ReSTOR® Multifocal Toric IOL, combines the benefits of a full range of vision provided by the AcrySof® IQ ReSTOR® IOL with the astigmatic correction of the AcrySof® IQ Toric IOL. The result: true performance at all distances for patients with astigmatism.

The AcrySof® IQ ReSTOR® Multifocal Toric IOL treats both presbyopia (an age-related condition in which the eye loses its ability to focus properly, resulting in blurred close-range vision). The individual is no longer able to read clearly and typically requires reading glasses or corrective contact lenses. and astigmatism in one surgery. With the performance and precision of the AcrySof® IQ ReSTOR® Multifocal Toric IOL, your surgeon now has an innovative option to treat your astigmatism and cataract, and to help improve your vision.