Improve Your Vision with Cataract Surgery in Northwest Georgia
When it comes to cataract removal, experience and compassion matters. At Professional Eye Associates in Northwest Georgia, every member of our care team specializes in treating eye conditions. From your initial consultation to recovery, you’ll receive kind, caring attention paired with years of expertise to restore your vision and help you regain confidence in your daily activities.
Our All-Eye Outpatient Surgery Center is the only AAAHC-certified center in Dalton, reflecting our dedication to high-quality healthcare. Our board-certified eye doctors and surgeons will deliver the focused care you deserve, right in your own backyard.
Who Can Benefit From Cataract Surgery?
Those diagnosed with cataracts may experience clouded vision and difficulty in completing everyday activities like reading, driving, recognizing faces, or seeing clearly at night. If you experience blurry vision, glare from lights, or faded colors, cataract surgery can help restore clarity and improve your quality of life.
Left untreated, cataracts can eventually cause blindness, the leading cause of vision loss in the United States, but at Professional Eye Associates, our optometrists and ophthalmologists offer safe, same-day, pain-free cataract surgery to help you see clearly again.
Testimonial from a PEA cataract patient:
What To Know About Cataracts Treatment
What Happens During a Cataract Removal Operation?
Cataract surgeries are quick, comfortable, and minimally-invasive. The process begins with numbing and dilating eye drops to enlarge the pupil, followed by a mild sedative to help you relax.
Here are the details of the procedure:
- Your surgeon will make a precise micro-incision to access the cataract.
- Using ultrasonic energy, the cataractous lens is gently softened and broken into tiny pieces before being carefully removed.
- Once the cataract is gone, an intraocular lens customized to your vision needs is inserted into place, where it unfolds naturally within the eye.
The procedure typically takes 10-20 minutes, but you should expect to spend up to three hours at our Surgery Center to allow for preparation and recovery. Most patients find the process relatively easy, only experiencing slight pressure but no pain.
Types of Intraocular Lenses (IOLs)
Professional Eye Associates is the only practice in Northwest Georgia to offer a variety of the latest intraocular lenses (IOLs) to suit each patient’s unique needs. More advanced choices mean we can provide more personalized vision care. Here are the IOLs we offer for cataracts treatment:
- Tecnis Odyssey
- Toric Monofocal IOL
- PanOptix® Trifocal IOL
- Standard Monofocal IOL
- Standard Monofocal IOL with Monovision
Your ophthalmologist will help you choose the best lens for you, ensuring your vision solution is tailored to your needs.
How To Prepare for Cataract Surgery
During your comprehensive eye exam and surgery consultation, we’ll discuss how to prepare for your cataract procedure. Be sure to bring your medical history to your appointment, including information on preexisting eye conditions. Contact lens wearers should stop wearing lenses at least seven days before their evaluation to maximize the precision of eye measurements.
Before surgery, your eye surgeon may suggest stopping certain medications and will recommend starting prescription eye drops, disinfecting eyelid scrubs, and antibiotic ointment before surgery. These prescriptions reduce the risk of swelling and reduce the risk for infection. Avoid any food and drinks for several hours before arriving at the Surgery Center. You’ll also need to arrange transportation for yourself, since it is recommended that you NOT drive for at least 24 hours after your procedure.However, many patients are able to resume driving the day after surgery.
Recovery
After the procedure, most patients experience no pain or bruising and can return home the same day. It’s important to rest for the remainder of the day after your surgery and use your prescribed eye drops as directed.
The day after surgery, you’ll visit our office for a post-op check-up to ensure your eye is healing properly. For the first week, you will be asked to wear a protective shield over your operated eye while sleeping to prevent accidental rubbing. Your vision may be slightly blurry at first, but it will improve day by day. Many patients are able to resume driving and routine activities the day after surgery.
Potential side effects of cataract surgery include:
- Irritation and discomfort
- Redness
- Blurred vision
- Rings or halo vision
- Shimmering of lights
- An arc of light on the outer part of your vision
- Light sensitivity
These side effects are common and should resolve as your eye continues to heal. If your vision remains blurry, it could be due to refractive errors like nearsightedness or astigmatism, which can usually be corrected with glasses or contacts.
For those seeking clearer vision without glasses, specialized multifocal lenses or astigmatism-correcting lenses may be required and will be discussed with your ophthalmologist prior to surgery.
See Clearly Again With Professional Eye Associates
Your vision is worth keeping. At Professional Eye Associates, we use advanced surgical techniques and equipment to perform cataract surgery with precision. You’ll receive world-class care locally in Northwest Georgia at our AAAHC-certified Surgery Center in Dalton, eliminating any need to travel to neighboring states.
Early cataract treatment can greatly improve your vision and enhance your quality of life for years to come. Schedule a consultation with our team today to explore your treatment options.