commented. “Thankfully, we’ve been able to accomplish that goal and consolidate all surgical procedures at this centrallylocated facility.” Having performed over 25,000 cataract surgeries over the span of his prestigious career, Dr. Snodgrass maintains that the trend in ophthalmologic surgery has been to implement less invasive techniques – ones that require smaller incisions, fewer or no stitches, and thus, speedier recovery times. “Innovations like those featured by the Alcon INFINITI Vision System for cataract surgery actually enhance surgical control and produce optimal outcomes,” he commented. This phacoemulsification system employs ultrasound which disintegrates the cataract (cloudy lens). Then those particles are vacuumed out, and a new, artificial, intraocular lens is implanted that is able to correct the patient’s visual impairment. With the ReSTOR multi-focal IOL, the majority of patients (about 80%) enjoy both near and distant vision without needing to wear glasses. Dr. Snodgrass noted, “There’s also the added advantage of eliminating numbing injections, because we use a topical anesthetic in the form of drops. No patch over the eye is necessary post-surgery, either; just a temporary clear, see-through bandage.” Typically, the follow-up routine for such surgeries includes applying eye drops and three post-operative office visits.
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A major advantage of using the Alcon lens is that it is made of soft, foldable acrylic material. This makes implantation easier for the physician and more comfortable for the patient. Dr. Snodgrass added, “By using the AcrySof® Toric lens, we can also correct for astigmatism, so that glasses for distance aren’t necessary after surgery.” Astigmatism is a vision condition that causes blurred vision due either to the irregular shape of the cornea, the clear front cover of the eye, or sometimes the curvature of the lens inside the eye preventing light from focusing properly on the
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