A clouding of the lens of the eye, usually caused by aging, trauma, corticosteroid use, and/or radiation.

Most cataracts develop as part of the aging process, but may be present at birth (congenital) or result from an injury, systemic disease (diabetes), or corticosteroid use. Using specialized equipment, cataracts as well as other eye diseases are diagnosed during a complete eye examination. The mere presence of a cataract does not indicate the need for surgery. Some cataracts may be slow growing, and for a period of time, stronger glasses can correct vision. Some cataracts develop more rapidly than others, and your eye doctor can monitor changes in vision and cataracts with periodic eye examinations.

Cloudy, fuzzy, foggy vision
Difficulty in seeing clearly to drive, especially at night
Trouble seeing well enough to perform close work
Problems seeing a television or computer screen
Colors that seem dull, faded, or not as bright
Frequent changes to a stronger glasses prescription
Halos around lights
Bothersome glare

Drs. Peter and Johanna Jensen perform a type of cataract surgery called phaco surgery. This surgery is minimally invasive (usually no need for sutures) and requires only topical anesthesia (eye drops) with IV sedation. In phaco surgery, a tiny incision (2.7 mm or less) is made in the cornea and a small ultrasonic probe is inserted to emulsify, or break up the cloudy lens into tiny pieces. Then those pieces are gently aspirated, or vacuumed, from the eye.

After the cloudy lens has been removed, a new artificial lens is implanted in the eye. Flexible intraocular lenses (IOLs) can be folded and inserted through the original surgical incision. Once moved in place inside the eye, the IOL unfolds to its proper shape.

At Eye Physicians of Idaho, we use the Zeiss IOL Master®, a high-precision instrument revolutionizing all previous techniques and setting a new standard for the measurement of the ocular axis. This instrument gives the most accurate eye measurements possible to ensure success with cataract surgery. Because every person's eyes are unique, like fingerprints, it can be difficult to determine the appropriate specifications of the IOL to be implanted during cataract surgery. The Zeiss IOL Master now provides physicians with information on key ocular measurements such as axial length, corneal curvature and anterior chamber depth, making it possible to choose the right IOL for each patient. Approved by the FDA in 2000, the non-contact IOL Master is the only product in the world that makes these "optical biometry" examinations possible and has proven to be five times more accurate than traditional technologies such as ultrasound.

Sometimes following cataract surgery, the clear membrane supporting the intraocular lens implant will become clouded. This condition is treated by using a YAG laser to make a small window in the cloudy membrane, allowing clear vision through the opening. This laser treatment is a painless outpatient procedure that only takes a few minutes.

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