Discover the benefits of lifestyle cataract surgery in Melbourne
Dr Anton van Heerden explains how patients feel after lifestyle cataract surgery
Who can our life-changing treatments help?
If you see yourself in how I describe my ideal patients below, we can certainly help you enhance your every waking moment with amazing natural vision
Your life after lifestyle cataract surgery
Every aspect of life becomes more enjoyable when you free yourself from the things that slow you down, hold you back and get in your way
Liberate your soul
Watch your frustration and anxiety with glasses and contact lenses melt away. You’ll feel liberated from any symptoms related to your poor, cloudy vision.
It’s the small pieces that make the big picture
Our patients are often amazed by the detail they weren’t able to see with cataracts. They notice that they are more engaged in previously unconsidered hobbies and activities.
See the world
After lifestyle cataract surgery, you’ll be free from cataracts, and you’ll be able to see a full range of distances without your glasses.
Liberate your soul
Watch your frustration and anxiety with glasses and contact lenses will melt away. You’ll feel liberated, open-minded and free from any niggling symptoms that were related to your poor, cloudy vision.
It’s the small pieces that make the big picture
Our patients are often amazed by the detail they weren’t able to see with cataracts, and notice that they’re more engaged in hobbies and activities they hadn’t previously considered.
Want to start your next adventure today?
Change how you see the world in 3 easy steps
WE’LL MEET
I’ll see you before treatment to ensure you’re a good candidate and treat you at my state-of-the-art refractive eye specialist clinic close to Melbourne CBD.
How does it work?
Change how you see the world in 3 easy steps
Lifestyle cataract surgery explained
Everything you need to know about lifestyle cataract surgery
Lifestyle cataract surgery is a safe and effective treatment for many middle-aged patients with high refractive errors.
Most patients with cataract are suitable to have it removed. Yet, there are other factors to consider before entering the surgical theatre.
A consultation with the experienced clinicians at Eye Laser Specialists can determine if you are suitable for treatment at our Eye Spa. Treatment before surgery may be recommended for pre-existing dry eye. Other times, vision is unlikely to improve from cataract removal. This is the case for visually significant eye diseases.
An important part of the preoperative consultation with your ophthalmologist is choosing the lens implant.
We conduct full assessments for cataract surgery at Eye Laser Specialists. We have acquired the most sophisticated Biometry technology in the Zeiss IOL Master 700 with central topography and real-time integration with the operating microscope.
Technology has advanced to the point to allow us to offer lens implants that can correct your distance vision, intermediate vision and near vision. These lenses are called multifocal (MF) and extended depth of focus (EDoF) intraocular lenses. They reduce your dependency on glasses and contact lenses after your surgical procedure.
During surgery
We perform cataract and lens surgery at Windsor Private Hospital which is 3km from Eye Laser Specialists. Windsor Private is a boutique Day Surgery Facility that is equipped with the Alcon Infinity Phaco-emulsification system and the Zeiss Callisto Microscope which provides the surgeons with co-axial illumination for mulitfocal IOL alignment and the digital toric alignment system for increased precision in astigmatism management at the time of cataract surgery.
We performed cataract surgery under local anaesthetic. We also offer light sedation for anxious patients. We insert an ultrasound probe into the eye via a very small incision in the cornea to break up the cataract. We then remove the pieces of cataract from the eye and position a clear surgical-grade plastic lens (artificial lens) in its place.
After surgery
The operation is typically performed on one eye at a time and takes around half an hour. We will place a protective shield over the eye, and give you a regimen of postoperative drops to aid healing. Your vision will likely be blurry for a couple of days after surgery, but it should clear up quickly.
Advantages
- Excellent and predictable vision results
- We can tailor the intraocular lens to your individual needs
- We perform surgery during the day, so you can return home the same day
- The use of intraocular lenses offers a good alternative treatment for presbyopia
Disadvantages
- We usually operate on the eyes on separate days
- The intraocular lens can develop a posterior capsule opacity that may require laser treatments in future
Risks of lens surgery
- Loss of best-corrected visual acuity
- Infection (Endophthalmitis) 1:2000 per eye
- Risk of requiring a second operation should cloudy lens occur
- Refractive error still requiring laser refractive surgery/ wearing glasses
The only way to improve the vision if you have a cataract is with laser-assisted cataract surgery.
If you are not suitable to have corneal refractive procedures, refractive lens exchange is sometimes the best option.
Step 1: We prepare the eye with a sterile drape
Step 2: We apply the anaesthetic
Step 3: We remove the cataract with an ultrasound device (phacoemulsification)
Step 4: We insert the new multifocal lens into the eye
Step 5: We insert antibiotics into the eye
Step 6: We place a clear shield over the eye which you must wear overnight
Step 7: You must use anti-inflammatory eye drops for three weeks after surgery
After surgery, you’ll have reduced if not eliminated your need for glasses and contact lenses. You’ll have the freedom that some patients call “life-changing.”
Dr Anton Van Heerden is the current Head of Unit, Surgical Ophthalmology Services at the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital. He is dedicated to improving cataract surgery outcomes in the public hospital setting. He has been involved in multiple cataract surgery research activities and is constantly striving for improving refractive cataract surgery outcomes.
Links to authoritative resources on lifestyle cataract surgery
Follow the links below for more information on lifestyle cataract surgery
About Eye Laser Specialists
Our experts bring a combined 40 years of eye surgery experience to Melbourne
Dr Anton van Heerden, MBCHB; FRANZCO
Ophthalmologist & Laser Eye Surgeon
Based in Melbourne, but with a reputation that transcends borders, Dr Van Heerden sets the highest bar for laser vision correction surgery in Australia. While his skills and experience are second to none, it is his fun, caring and down to earth nature that truly set’s him apart from the rest. You can sit back and enjoy the journey knowing every detail has been carefully considered.
Dr Edward Roufail, PHD, FRANZCO
Ophthalmologist & Specialist Eye Surgeon
Dr Roufail is an experienced Ophthalmologist with extensive experience in intraocular surgery. He performs well over 500 intraocular surgeries a year treating retinal detachment, diabetic eye disease, surgical macular disease, cataract and refractive surgery.
