[mk_page_section padding_bottom=”0″ sidebar=”sidebar-1″][vc_column][mk_fancy_title size=”18″ font_family=”none”]Ask the Experts at Collins Vision—Michael J. Collins, MD, FACS[/mk_fancy_title][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1591811570547{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]Prevent Blindness, a national organization advocating for vision and eye health, has deemed June Cataract Awareness Month, and that means it’s the perfect time to shine a spotlight on the condition that affects so many Americans, especially as they age. Leading an ophthalmology practice in Southwest Florida, I focus a great deal of my practice on the diagnosis and treatments of cataracts.
Cataracts affect over 24.4 million Americans aged 40 and older, or about one in every six people in this age range. They are certainly a leading cause of vision loss in the United States today and something that most people will deal with at some point in their lives. Let’s learn more.
The Basics of Cataracts
A cataract is best described as a clouding of the eye’s natural lens that occurs as people age. This cloudiness blocks and distorts the light passing through the eye and thus impedes clear vision. Over time, cataracts will grow larger and cloud more of the lens.
Symptoms can vary from person to person, but commonly experienced symptoms often include:
- Cloudy or blurry vision
- Bright colors become dull
- Glare from headlights, lamps or sunlight
- Halos around lights
- Poor night vision
- Frequent prescription changes in your glasses
- Difficulty reading in low light
Cataracts and Treatment—It Matters Who You Trust
If cataracts are affecting your life or the life of someone you love, you need to know one important thing: Cataracts cannot be treated with medication, eye drops or lifestyle changes. They must be surgically removed for vision to be restored.
Cataract surgery is one of the safest and most effective surgical procedures performed today, but it’s still important to choose a surgeon with focused training, plenty of experience, a commitment to the most advanced technology and a number of great outcomes in the books. As a board-certified ophthalmologist with fellowship training in cornea, cataract and refractive surgery, I’ve helped countless people regain their vision and their lives using modern cataract surgery techniques.
I always encourage my patients to do their research before making a decision about when and where to have surgery, and what lens they’ll choose (more on this later).
How Cataract Surgery Works
During your cataract surgery procedure, I will make a tiny incision to gently remove the cloudy lens and replace it with a clear artificial lens. This new lens can’t be seen or felt and is designed to last a lifetime!
The incision is self-healing, meaning no stitches are required! Thanks to advances in technology, recovery time is impressively fast. Most of our patients report minimal to no discomfort and say they return to normal activities within 24 to 48 hours of their procedure.
At Collins Vision, we offer the safest and most advanced technology available. We were one of the first practices in the country to invest in the Bausch & Lomb VICTUS Femtosecond Laser Platform to assist in performing Custom Laser Cataract Surgery. Why? Custom Laser Cataract Surgery represents one of the great surgical advancements of our time, and I believe the VICTUS is a true benchmark for safety and precision.
Cataract Surgery at Collins Vision—Beyond the Blur
At Collins Vision, we specialize in something we like to call Refractive Cataract Surgery (also known as the “Enhance” and/or “Elevate” Paths at our practice), where the goal is to remove your cataract and reduce your dependency on glasses at the same time by correcting other refractive errors (aka vision issues) with a premium intraocular lens. It’s an advanced procedure that goes beyond standard cataract surgery to deliver amazing results designed to fit your unique vision and lifestyle.
There are so many great cataract surgery lens options out there that can offer you increased visual freedom at the time of your cataract surgery, and at Collins Vision, we have many options. Visual freedom is something that’s very important to many of our busy Southwest Florida residents who live active lives—working out, golfing, traveling or pursuing hobbies—and don’t want to be restricted by the hassles of glasses.
Your Path for Your Cataract Journey
I love meeting with patients personally and customizing a plan that takes into account their unique eyes, needs, vision goals and lifestyle. At your one-on-one cataract surgery consultation, we will make sure you have all the information you need and want to feel confident about your next steps. I will meet with you personally and customize a plan that takes into account your unique needs, vision goals and lifestyle. The Collins Vision custom paths are explained in detail here.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/mk_page_section]
