Carolinas Centers For Sight

Cataracts | Cataract Surgery | YAG Laser Capsulotomy | Multifocal IOLs | Testimonials

Cataract Surgery

Our refractive surgeons, Drs. Seltzer and Greene, perform cataract procedures at Florence Surgery and Laser Center, our adjacent state-of-the-art fully staffed ambulatory surgical center. FSLC is one of the leading facilities in the region for cataract surgery, with over 20,000 procedures performed to date. Due to our high volume of cataract procedures, we maintain an excellent inventory of the most advanced lenses.

We use cutting edge technology and techniques to provide patients with the best possible outcomes. Most of our cataract surgeries can be done as small incision procedures that do not require sutures. This speeds the recovery process and also allows most patients to see well soon after surgery.

The Lens and Cataract Surgery

The natural lens is a round object located immediately behind the pupil and iris. It is made up of many thousands of cells, which are contained in a small bag, called the lens capsule. The capsule is very thin, similar to cellophane or "Handiwrap".

Patients should not eat or drink after midnight the day before surgery. On the day of surgery, patients should bring their medicines with them. Their eyes will be dilated and an intravenous line will be placed by an anesthetist.

While the patient is lying down sedated in the operating room, a very small incision is made at the edge of the clear cornea, which is in front of the iris. With the pupil already dilated, a round disc of the lens capsule is removed from the front of the lens (cataract). The lens tissue (cataract cells) are broken into pieces using high-frequency sound waves and then suctioned out of the capsular bag. Next, an artificial lens implant (IOL or intraocular lens) is placed in the empty capsular bag.

Are you a candidate for LASIK or multifocal lenses? Click on either image on the right, answer a few questions and we'll email you a response.