RUXTON TOWERS
EYE ASSOCIATES

BETTER VISION
FOR A BRIGHTER TOMORROW

EYE SURGERY
Cataract Surgery
Modern phacoemulsification cataract surgery is still a very successful operation with few complications for patients where cataracts are the cause of significant vision impairment. This modern surgical technique has made it possible to remove cataracts at earlier stages of development based on the level of visual problems they are causing, not on their degree of maturity. Our doctors continue to offer modern cataract surgery techniques to our patients needing this surgery. They also perform these operations in state-of-the-art hospitals and outpatient facilities in our community.

Pain-free Cataract Surgery
Cataract surgery is a pain-free experience thanks to advances in anesthesia. Our patients are very comfortable during the surgery and are able to resume normal activities shortly afterwards. During this procedure, Dr. Cassel and members of his surgical team at Greater Baltimore Medical Center (G.B.M.C.) attend to your needs and lessen your anxiety about surgery. It is also comforting to have your surgery at one of the leading hospitals in our state, with a highly trained staff of nurses, surgical assistants, and anesthesia personnel.

"No-Stitch" Cataract Surgery Using a Self-Sealing Wound
Years ago, before there were sutures small enough to close eye incisions, cataract patients needed to remain still in bed for weeks after the surgery to allow time for the wound to heal. Sandbags were placed around the head to prevent movement. Although sutures eventually proved to be a major advance to cataract surgery, they have now been supplanted in most cases by the use of a self-sealing incision. The shape of the incision creates a flap that takes advantage of the natural fluid pressure inside the eye to seal it shut without the need for sutures. Not every cataract surgery can be performed as a "No-Stitch" procedure. The decision to place a suture is made by Dr. Cassel at the time of cataract surgery. He may choose to place a suture in the wound for added support in very active patients or those at risk of falling or being forgetful and rubbing their eye after this microsurgical cataract procedure. With or without sutures, however, small self-sealing incisions have been a major benefit for our patients who have undergone cataract surgery providing shorter surgery time, dramatically reduced recovery time, less surgically induced astigmatism, and less discomfort after surgery.

Do cataracts need to be "ripe" before they can be removed?
This was true many years ago but is not any more. Modern microsurgical techniques have made it possible for us to remove cataracts (a haziness which develops over time in the eye's lens) at any stage. Surgery, however, should only be performed when cataracts are causing you significant problems with your eyesight, such as trouble with your distance vision, difficulty seeing to drive (particularly at night), reading problems, glare, ghost images or double vision in one eye, or a halo around lights. We perform many cataract operations each year. These are never performed just because they are "ripe" but are based on how the cataract is effecting your visual needs.

What Are Cataracts?
What Are the Symptoms of Cataracts?
Who Is at Risk for Cataracts?
What Causes Cataracts?
How Are Cataracts Diagnosed?
How Are Cataracts Treated?
Cataract Surgery
IOL Implants