What to Expect from
Cataract Surgery in Plano

Choosing to have your cataracts removed can be a choice that changes your life, but no matter what, it’s an intimidating decision. Here at Brooks Eye Associates, we want to make sure you understand everything you can expect, from your first cataract consultation to the final procedure.

We’re here to answer all your questions and prepare you in the best way possible for a surgery that will improve both your vision and your life.

How Does Cataract Surgery Work?

Cataract surgery is one of the most commonly performed surgeries in the United States with an average of three million Americans undergoing cataract surgery annually. The purpose of the procedure is to remove the clouded natural lens that is obscuring your vision and replace it with a clear artificial lens, called an intraocular lens, or IOL.

During cataract surgery, your cloudy, opaque cataract will be broken up by an extremely precise, minimally invasive instrument. After the removal of the clouded natural lens, there will be an empty spot for an artificial lens. Our cataract specialist, Dain Brooks, M.D., will insert an IOL into your eye, completely replacing your clouded lens with a clear one.

When completed by an experienced surgeon, cataract surgery takes about 10 minutes from start to finish. It’s an outpatient procedure, so you’ll be headed back home the same day of your surgery.

Plano Cataract Removal

The Brooks Eye Associates team is dedicated to providing you with comprehensive and comforting care. We want you to feel at ease with the knowledge that you’re in the hands of a capable cataract surgeon and being treated with some of the most advanced surgical equipment available.

You should be excited at the prospect of restoring your vision. Understanding the cataract surgery procedure from start to finish can help eliminate any remaining anxieties you may have.

What Happens in a Cataract Surgery Consultation?

The first step to freeing yourself of cataracts and restoring clear vision starts with scheduling a consultation with an eye surgeon. Choosing the right cataract surgeon and eye clinic can make all the difference in your cataract surgery results.

Your cataract surgery consultation is an opportunity to ask questions to determine if the doctor’s qualifications and background align with the cataract surgery results you expect.

It’s also important to take into consideration if the eye clinic offers you a choice of Advanced Technology Lenses (ATL) or if they only provide you with a basic IOL. Your doctor will talk you through your options, giving you information about the different IOLs offered. For example, our Toric IOL option corrects astigmatism, providing a clear and sharp vision to patients who have had a blurry vision all their lives. Recent FDA approval of the PanOptix ® Trifocal IOL lens gives Dr. Brooks the option to provide you a lens with three focal distances: near (reading), intermediate (working on a computer), and distance (driving).  This new technology provides the broadest scope of vision correction currently available.

Preparing for Cataract Surgery

In preparation for the day of surgery, your surgeon will measure the size and shape of your eye. These measurements will be used to determine the correct size of IOL that should be implanted in your eye, as well as screen for any complications that may arise during the procedure.

A nurse will call you a few days before your surgery to go over medical history, provide you with preoperative instructions, and answer any questions you may have.

The day before your surgery, you should have nothing to eat or drink after midnight, with the exception of clear liquids. You may drink water, coffee (no creamer), apple juice, or other clear liquids up until two hours before your arrival time.

You may take your medications as normal, except for diabetic medications. If you have any questions about your cataract surgery preparations, one of our Brooks Eye Associates team members will be glad to help.

What Happens During Cataract Surgery?

The cataract surgery procedure will take about ten minutes to complete, but you should expect the entire appointment to last around one to two hours.

To begin, you’ll be provided with a sedative to help you relax, and then topical or local anesthesia is applied to your eye to ensure that you won’t blink during surgery.

After making a tiny opening in your cornea, the cataract will be broken up and removed. You may feel a small amount of pressure during the surgery, but you should not feel any pain or significant discomfort.

Once the cataract has been removed, an intraocular lens will be placed in your eye, filling the space where the clouded natural lens used to sit. This is also painless. Here at Brooks Eye Associates, we use a “no stitch” (sutureless) technique for optimal comfort and ease of recovery.

You’ll be provided with directions for aftercare treatment and will be scheduled for a follow-up appointment. Then, you’ll be on your way home and more importantly, on your way to clear vision.

Should I Have Cataract Surgery?

Cataract surgery shouldn’t be intimidating. The best way to ease any anxiety you feel toward the surgery is to make sure you choose a comfortable clinic, an experienced surgeon, and are aware of what to expect from your cataract surgery.

If you’re ready to take the first step to restore your vision, we’re ready to help you. If you have further questions about the cataract surgery process, please contact Brooks Eye Associates today or call (972) 736-9347 to schedule an appointment.