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Cataract

What exactly is a cataract and why might I want cataract surgery? We are all naturally born with a lens inside the eye and for most of us that lens is clear until we reach our 50’s or beyond. That natural lens will become cloudy with time and eventually it becomes cloudy enough that we call it a cataract. This means that a cataract is simply a natural lens that you were born with that has become cloudy. Eventually cataracts become cloudy enough that they impact our daily lives by causing burry vision, haloes, poor night vision, and glare while driving or looking into oncoming headlights. Glasses and contacts do not fix the poor vision that develops from cataracts. Cataract surgery is the only way to eliminate the vision problems caused by cataracts. As a bonus, all patients will choose an intraocular lens (IOL) implant that is the best fit for them prior to surgery. That IOL in many cases can eliminate the need for glasses or contacts.

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Why should I choose Dr. Kasprick as my cataract surgeon?

  • Dr. Kasprick demands the highest level of care and expertise from himself and his team. He obtained his medical degree from the University of Michigan and completed his surgical training at the globally recognized Kellogg Eye Center. From day one he has accepted nothing but the best from himself and his team and you will be working with a doctor that truly cares about you and your goals.
  • The Northern Lakes Ophthalmology team is a relaxed but extremely competent group of highly skilled individuals that will make you feel at home immediately. We are privately owned and provide a very different experience than you’ll likely receive in a large hospital or corporately owned eye clinic.
  • There has never been a more exciting time for advanced technology IOL’s that can help you get rid of your glasses or contacts. Dr. Kasprick has expertise in implanting a wide variety of IOLs to best suit your needs.
  • Dr. Kasprick takes a no pressure approach when it comes to discussing surgery. He treats every patient as if they are family and guides you through the same decision making process that he’d take with his mother or best friend.

Cataract Symptom Checker

Simulated Vision with Halos
Simulated Yellow Vision
Simulated Double Vision

Are you a candidate for cataract surgery?

Take our cataract self-test and find out!

Cataract Self-Test

Educational Videos

IOL Introduction

Intraocular lens implants, commonly called IOLs, may be one of the most important developments in eyecare over the last 30 years. These tiny prescription lenses are permanently placed inside the eye, to restore focusing power when an eye’s natural lens has been removed, as part of cataract surgery or lens replacement surgery. Before the development of IOLs, the only way to restore focusing power in an eye after cataract surgery was with thick, ‘coke-bottle’ glasses, or contact lenses. Without those glasses or contact lenses, a patient could see only shapes and colors. Today, those thick glasses and contact lenses are eliminated with an IOL. Choosing the correct lens implant for you is the best way to reduce your dependence on glasses and ensure that your cataract surgery is a resounding success.

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Toric Lens Overview

This video describes the nature of astigmatism, and shows how a toric lens implant following cataract surgery can act to neutralize the astigmatism. Reducing astigmatism ultimately helps bring you closer to enjoying a life without depending on expensive prescription glasses.

Trifocal IOL

This video describes the difference between single focus IOLs and trifocal IOLs, which provide correction for near, intermediate and distance vision. Patients will learn the difference between monofocal IOLs and trifocal IOLs, and are shown the benefits of a premium IOL. Dr. Kasprick enjoys implanting the Alcon Panoptix multifocal IOL and has countless patients who have gone glasses free after choosing the Panoptix lens. Script approved by Alcon Surgical Vision.

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View Video

Extended Depth of Focus

This video explains how an extended depth-of-focus (EDOF) IOL (such as the Alcon Vivity) offers a continuous range of vision and minimizes side effects of other IOLs. The extended depth of focus Vivity IOL helps to reduce your need for glasses for tasks in the intermediate range (3-5 feet). Many patients who choose a Vivity lens are able to read items at arms length as long as the print is large enough. Script approved by Alcon Surgical Vision.

Cataract FAQ

Cataract surgery is the most common surgery performed in the United States today and the risk of serious complication is extremely small. No surgery is risk free but Dr. Kasprick has successfully performed thousands of cataract surgeries with a greater than 99% success rate. He is well known for his surgical expertise and exceedingly low complication rate. Cataract surgery is the primary focus of his practice and his dedication shows through in the excellent results and happy patients that we see every week.

Dr. Kasprick uses the most modern and most common surgical technique for cataract removal known as “phacoemulsification”. This involves using a highly specialized ultrasonic tool to carefully remove the cloudy cataract prior to implantation of your new intraocular lens (IOL). Surgery generally takes well under 10 minutes and is typically pain free. During post op visits patients frequently refer to surgery as a surprisingly pleasant experience and say they are looking forward to having their second eye done two weeks later.

When your cataract is removed it must be replaced with a new clear lens made from an acrylic material. The new IOL rests inside your eye in the exact same location that your old cloudy cataract used to sit. You can’t feel the new IOL and it lasts for a lifetime. This new IOL is a once in a lifetime opportunity to have vision correction that used to require glasses or contacts. That’s right, many patients following cataract surgery no longer require glasses or contacts. Dr. Kasprick offers a variety of IOL options including standard monofocal IOLs, toric astigmatism correcting IOLs, and advanced technology IOLs such as multifocal (Panoptix by alcon) lenses and extended depth of focus (Vivity by Alcon) lenses. IOLs are one of the most impressive advancements in human innovation and they make cataract surgery a truly exciting time for patients.

Many of our patients are completely free from glasses and contacts after surgery. There are a wide variety of lens choices to choose from and we pride ourselves on taking the time to educate you and help you choose the lens that is best for your lifestyle and your goals. We do not take any of the high pressure sales approaches that you may have found in other offices and we are happy to implant whichever lens best fits your goals.

You can start by taking our cataract self test if you’d like. Common cataract symptoms are blurry vision, faded colors, halos when looking at nights, glare while driving, and poor night vision. Many patients have visually impactful cataracts but they are unaware because the cataracts developed so slowly over time. If you aren’t sure if you have cataracts please reach out to us and come meet our team for an evaluation. We have countless patients who had no idea how much vision they had lost until they had a thorough evaluation at Northern Lakes Ophthalmology.

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Age is the most common reason that cataracts develop but it isn’t the only cause. Conditions such as diabetes, smoking, eye injuries, or congenital malformations can also contribute to the development of cataracts. Many patients who chronically use corticosteroids for other medical conditions will develop cataracts at a younger age.

The simple answer is, yes. Those of us who reach our 50s and beyond will develop cataracts at some point. Every patient is unique and some patients with moderate cataracts are not bothered by their vision while others may feel that the same level of cataract limits their daily activities significantly. There is no “one size fits all” approach when it comes to who is ready for cataract surgery and who isn’t. If we determine that you have cataracts, but you say you aren’t ready for surgery yet, then Dr. Kasprick will be happy to keep an eye on your cataracts over time and help you decide when the time is right for you. Northern Lakes Ophthalmology truly takes a no pressure approach and is here to support you through your journey to excellent vision at your own pace.

No, the cloudy cataract that is removed during surgery can never return. Your new IOL will remain in your eye. Some patients do develop haziness of the capsule that holds the new IOL in place. For those patients we offer a quick and painless laser procedure in clinic called a YAG laser capsulotomy to create a small and painless opening in the cloudy capsule which restores your vision. This procedure is often done right in the office anywhere from 6 months to 10 years after cataract surgery and is nearly always covered by your medical insurance.

Most patients are home and comfortable within 1-2 hours after their cataract surgery is finished. To help prevent infection we ask that you don’t submerge your head in any pools, lakes, or hot tubs for at least 2 weeks but most of your daily activities like showering and household chores are perfectly fine. We ask that you try not to bend with your head below your waist for 2 days after surgery and that you avoid activities with quick and powerful movements (like golfing or heavy weight lighting) for one week. We firmly believe that the quicker you get back into your normal routine the better and light exercise is fine by the very next day. A small number of patients with more advanced cataracts may take a few days or longer for their vision to sharpen up after surgery but the vast majority of patients are seeing better by the very next day. Many patients feel no discomfort whatsoever during the post operative period but a small number say that they feel mild scratchiness or irritation (almost like having an eyelash in the eye). This type of discomfort is very different from the type of pain that people usually think of when they think of surgery. A small number of patients might choose to take a Tylenol on the first day after surgery but most patients do not need any oral pain medications whatsoever. It really is amazing how pain free cataract surgery is.

Our surgery is done at a well respected ambulatory eye surgical center and our patients can’t say enough good things about how comfortable our anesthesia team keeps them with very mild sedation and numbing eye drops. Some patients might feel a small amount of pressure but the vast majority feel nothing at all and very few patients experience any pain whatsoever. We hear patients use the phrase “pain free” on a weekly basis. Medication is given prior to surgery to thoroughly relax you and eye drops are given to completely numb the eye. If you are feeling anxious you will have Dr. Kasprick to calmly guide you through the process and the anesthesia team to make sure you have the proper medication to keep you relaxed. In all of his years of doing cataract surgery and after completing thousands of cases, he hasn’t had a single patient choose not have their second eye surgery done because of a poor experience during the first surgery. We think that really speaks to how surprisingly easy and pain free this surgery is for most patients to get through.

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Our dedicated team is here to guide you through the process. Schedule a consultation today, and let's embark on a journey to a clearer, brighter future together. Your vision matters, and we're here to make it the best it can be!

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