What You Need to Know About Laser Cataract Surgery

What You Need to Know About Laser Cataract Surgery

Published by Lance Kugler, MD on September 5, 2017

At Kugler Vision in Omaha, Nebraska, our mission is to maximize the human experience by helping our patients see the world with their best vision possible. They feel confident and empowered, and live life with energy and vitality. Laser cataract surgery improves our patients’ quality of life. Kugler Vision’s philosophy is to not only remove cataracts but also reduce or eliminate the need for visual aids such as:

• Glasses
• Contacts
• Bifocals
• Reading glasses

Why Is Your Vision Changing?

As your eyes mature, they undergo vision changes. This is a frustrating but natural process related to the aging of the eye’s natural lens. The lens begins to harden, lose flexibility, and become more yellow over time. These are all symptoms of dysfunctional lens syndrome (DLS). Advanced or stage 3 DLS is a cataract.

Everyone is at risk for DLS, even those who have had vision correction. This is because LASIK changes the eye’s outer layer, called the cornea. DLS affects the eye’s lens and is unrelated to the cornea. The changes in the eye’s lens can sometimes be so gradual that they go unnoticed for years. These near-vision changes typically start in your 40s with stage 1 DLS.

More About DLS

As you enter your 40s, you begin to experience the onset of dysfunctional lens syndrome. The lens in your eye undergoes a series of gradual changes, as described above. DLS progresses in three stages:

• Stage 1 – The lens in your eye starts to harden and lose its flexibility, making it difficult for you to see up close. You begin to rely on readers or bifocals to do things like read a text or see a restaurant menu. This typically occurs between ages 40-50.
• Stage 2 – The lens in your eye begins to yellow, reducing the clarity of distance and near vision. Many people notice distortion and halos while driving at night. Typically these vision changes occur in our mid 40s to early 60s.
• Stage 3 – The lens in your eye becomes cloudy, significantly affecting vision quality. This is also known as a cataract. The average age of someone with cataracts in the U.S. is 73.

It’s important to remember that DLS always progresses to a cataract if left untreated.

Don’t Settle for Cataracts – It’s Time to See Clearly Again

Laser cataract surgery is one of the safest surgeries performed in all of medicine, and modern technology has made it relatively quick and virtually painless. At Kugler Vision, Lance Kugler, MD, performs laser cataract surgery using the most advanced cataract treatment equipment available.

Once the cataract is removed, Dr. Kugler inserts an advanced technology intraocular lens (IOL) into the eye. The IOL replaces the hard, yellow lens that was removed and takes over the task of focusing light on the retina, improving the visual quality and reducing your need for visual aids after surgery.

There are various IOLs offered at Kugler Vision. We are here to guide you, partnering with you to find the best IOL match for your specific needs and vision goals. Dr. Kugler is a vision correction expert in advanced IOL technology, and he will recommend the lens best suited for you at the time of your cataract consultation. Contact us today to learn more about your options or to schedule a cataract consultation.

Lance Kugler, MD

Lance Kugler, MD, is a specialist in LASIK and vision correction surgery and CEO of Kugler Vision. A proud Omaha native, he is passionate about improving lives through clear vision. Dr. Kugler serves on several national boards, and his practice is recognized internationally as a center of excellence. Dr. Kugler is one of the original founders of the Refractive Surgery Alliance, an international organization comprised of over 350 of the world’s leading vision correction surgeons; he also served as its first president. In 2019, Dr. Kugler was selected as a TEDx speaker, and delivered a talk in Omaha about the worldwide epidemic of nearsightedness and refractive solutions. Dr. Kugler is an Associate Professor of Refractive Surgery at the University of Nebraska Medical Center’s Truhlsen Eye Institute, has been published in many medical journals, and participates in numerous clinical studies to advance the field of vision correction surgery. Additionally, Dr. Kugler is proud to be a Board Certified Fellow of the World College of Refractive Surgery & Visual Sciences. Dr. Kugler and his wife are proud parents to five active kids. When he has a spare moment, he enjoys skiing, tennis, travel, and fine coffee.