How to treat
Lens implant power
Once cataract surgery is decided upon, the patient will need to have eye measurements taken. These wiill calculate the power of the implant to be placed into the eye at the time of surgery. The types of measurements taken for each patient are determined by severity of the cataract.
The measurements consist of:
Keratometry
Keratometry measures two corneal curvatures, the steepest and the flattest.
These measurements give the doctor information about the cornea's curvature, focusing
power and whether astigmatism is present.
Topography
Corneal topography also measures the corneal curvature, this time assisted
by computer analysis. A corneal topographer projects a series of illuminated rings
onto the corneal surface and these are reflected back onto the instrument. The reflected
rings of light are analysed by the computer and a topographical map of the cornea
is generated. The topographical map and computerized analysis will reveal any distortions
of the cornea, any disease or scarring alongside measurement of the corneal curvature.
IOL Master
I use a new high tech measurement tool, "The Zeiss Humphrey IOL Master",
which a state of the art laser system that evaluates the length of the eye, surface
curvature and intraocular lens power.
The IOL Master is very efficient because it allows technicians to take all measurements with complete confidence in the accuracy of the results. The measurements are done without touching the eye and all within a one minute period. There is no need for anaesthesia and there is no risk of spreading contamination from the instruments.
Ultrasound-
Ultrasound utilizes sound waves to form an image of the eye. High
frequency sound waves are emitted from a probe to travel through the eye and are
then reflected back from the eye’ structures to the probe. In turn, the probe receives
these sound waves and converts them into the image that appears on the examiner's
screen.
Ophthalmic ultrasound is used to measure the parts of the eye, to document pathology such as tumours and to examine the inside of the eye.
The A-