Cataract is the most common cause of blindness in humans. It affects 8 in 10 Singaporeans aged 60 years old and above.
Cataract is a condition in which the clear lens of the eye becomes cloudy, reducing the amount of light entering the eye.
If left untreated, the condition can lead to a painless but gradual blurring of vision, reducing the quality of your life.
If you suspect you have cataract, look out for the following symptoms:
- Foggy, cloudy or hazy vision
- Difficulty driving at night due to bright headlights
- Trouble with glare from lamps or the sun
- Double vision
- Reduced perception of colours
- Frequent change in spectacle prescription
If cataract is diagnosed at an earlier stage, it can be easily treated with cataract surgery and vision will be restored.
Cataract surgery is the only way to treat cataract. Medication or prescription glasses will not help.
The cataract surgeon makes a corneal incision on the eye. An ultrasound probe enters to remove the cloudy lens (cataract). Ultrasound energy is then used to break up the cloudy lens (cataract). The remains are suctioned out of the eye with a small tube.
Next, an artificial intraocular lens (IOL) is inserted to replace the diseased lens. IOLs can correct myopia, hyperopia, astigmatism, and presbyopia. The type and power of the IOL implant is tailored to the patient.
Bladeless cataract surgery and computer-assisted cataract surgery are now available.
The cataract surgeon uses a laser machine to perform the various incisions. This gives greater consistency and control over the location, shape and size of the corneal incision and circular cut, making the procedure even safer.
With the help of the femtosecond laser, lesser ultrasound energy is needed to break up the cloudy lens (cataract), reducing the risks of injury and complications.
More precise incisions can also hold the implanted IOL well as the artificial lens implant is centralised and better positioned.
We provide various high-quality artificial lenses to suit each patient’s individual needs, such as aspheric monofocal lens, multifocal lens and toric lens. These new and improved intraocular lenses can help to correct all refractive errors of the eye, including myopia
(shortsightedness), astigmatism and presbyopia (Lao Hua).
Every year, more than 30,000 cataract operations are carried out in Singapore.
Cataract removal remains one of the safest and most effective day surgical procedures. The entire procedure is completed within 40 minutes.
Patients who undergo the new cataract surgery generally recover faster as the bladeless technique is gentler on the eye, without any sharp instruments involved. Patients are able to achieve better quality of vision after recovery.
Cataract surgery is an extremely safe and effective procedure, in the hands of an experienced and skilled surgeon. Occasionally, clouding of the lens capsule that holds the lens in place, known as Posterior Capsule Opacification (PCO), may result in blurring of vision. This minor condition may be easily treated with a simple outpatient laser procedure called a YAG Laser Capsulotomy.
Cataracts affect more than 80 per cent of Singaporeans over 60 years old. Cataracts that are more severe are more prone to complications and are more difficult and complicated to treat.
Dr Leonard Ang is an, experienced cataract surgeon who has a proven track record in cataract treatment, having successfully performed thousands of cataract surgeries. He specialises in refractive cataract surgery so that patients can also correct their myopia (shortsightedness), astigmatism and presbyopia (“lao hua”), and thereby achieve better vision with reduced reliance on spectacles for distance vision and reading.
To schedule an appointment, please call (65) 6684 1000 / (65) 9760 3020 or email manager@langeye.sg.
