Typical Tests for Cataract Surgery
The typical tests prior to cataract surgery involve measuring the eye to determine the strength of the intraocular lens that will be used after the cataract is removed. There are a variety of instruments that are able to measure the eye and provide a strength of lens that will correct the patients vision. Accurate testing allows the doctor to provide excellent visual results with the least dependence on glasses being needed to correct the patient’s vision.
Methods
- Ultrasound with keratometry measurements
- IOL Master
- Lenstar
New Methods of Testing Eyes Prior to Cataract Surgery
As patients are becoming more demanding or accustomed to excellent results from their cataract surgery, eye surgeons are performing additional testing to help choose the best type of cataract surgery and intraocular lens choice. These additional tests provide the eye surgeon with more information that can be used to help the doctor recommend the best options for a particular patient.
Advanced Technical Evaluation of the Visual System by Tracey Technologies
The I-Trace performs auto-refractometry, ray-tracing aberrometry, auto-keratometry, corneal topography, and pupillometry. The data derived from I-Trace provides precise information about optical alignment, corneal clarity, corneal aberrations, increased accuracy for astigmatism (Toric IOL alignment), and analysis of corneal asphericity (high resolution detail about the shape of the cornea).
Glass Independence After Cataract Surgery
Many patients now want to be able to see without glasses and higher levels of testing provide more accurate evaluation of the visual system. There are a variety of different types of intraocular lenses with different properties. Comprehensive ocular evaluations make it possible to help patients choose the best possible lens for their eye and make it possible to provide them the best results.
Cataract Surgery and Astigmatism
If a patient has astigmatism and wishes to have the astigmatism corrected in order to see well without glasses after cataract surgery, precise alignment of the toric intraocular with the patient’s astigmatism is critical. Just a few degrees of misalignment can result in loss of the astigmatic correction resulting in blurred vision. The intraocular lens will need to be rotated back to the proper axis. The Zaldivar Toric Caliper topographic display uses surgical anatomical landmarks that the surgeon can use to align the IOL in the correct axis.
Tracey Technology’s I-Trace Helps to Determine Premium IOLs
The I-Trace is able to measure the Angle Kappa and Angle Alpha of the eye. The Angle Kappa is the measured difference of the visual axis to the center of the pupil. The Angle Alpha is the measured difference of the visual axis to the center of the limbus. If these are too off center, many eye surgeons would not recommend a multifocal IOL in this situation. The I-Trace also is able to measure the aberrations in the visual system of the eye related to the cornea. If a patient has too high a level of corneal aberrations, they are not a good candidate for a multifocal IOL.
Asphericity and Cataract Surgery
The cornea of the human eye is not spherical like a basketball but has an aspheric shape. There are different intraocular lenses with a variety of shapes from spherical to aspherical. Choosing the right shape of IOL matched to the shape of the cornea can increase the quality of vision that a patient has after cataract surgery. The I-Trace is able to measure the asphericity of the eye and the eye surgeon can then choose the best spherical coefficient of the IOL in order to provide the best vision.
Summary
New technology and methods of testing the visual system can provide an improved outcome after cataract surgery. These tests also provide important information to the eye surgeon so that they can advise a patient about the best choice for their cataract surgery.
Leave a Reply