New cataract treatment option simplifies post-surgery care for patients
Cataract surgery is one of the most common surgical procedures in the world. A new dropless cataract surgery, offered at BayCare Clinic Eye Specialists, eliminates the complex post-care eye drop regimen that can often be a barrier for a patient’s successful recovery.
“Dropless cataract surgery is an innovative procedure that reduces the need for pre- and post-operative eye drops and reduces risk of infection and retinal swelling,” says Dr. Alexander A. Foster, a comprehensive ophthalmologist with BayCare Clinic Eye Specialists.
Dr. Foster was featured on the BayCare Clinic Podcast, where he discussed dropless cataract surgery and how it affects recovery for cataract patients. Listen to the full episode above.
Even though traditional cataract surgery is safe and effective, a big hurdle for most patients is the rigorous antibiotic and anti-inflammatory eye drop regimen that follows.
That, Foster says, involves giving yourself eye drops several times a day at specific intervals.
“For a lot of patients, (the regimen) can be difficult to adhere to,” Foster says. “With dropless cataract surgery, the surgeon places the medication directly in the eye.”
This means a more targeted and effective approach to preventing infection, and cost savings for patients who no longer need to purchase eye drops.
Cataract symptoms
Cataracts occur when the clear, transparent lens inside the eye becomes clouded.
Symptoms may include:
- Clouded, blurred or fogged vision
- High sensitivity to light and glare
- Difficulty seeing at night
- Seeing halos around lights
- Colors appear dull or muted
- Glasses no longer seem effective
- Double vision
Left untreated, a cataract can cause blindness or glaucoma, a serious eye disease that is the world’s second-leading cause of blindness.
Dropless cataract surgery available in Green Bay and Sturgeon Bay
“Dropless cataract surgery is a clear win,” Foster said. “We see it as the future of cataract surgery and at BayCare Clinic Eye Specialists, we strive to stay on the cutting edge of surgical innovation. If it benefits the patient, we are going to do it.”