Cataract surgery in patients with small pupils

A cataract is a  clouding of the natural crystalline lens of the eye.  Cataracts develop as we age and are sometimes due to medications, hormone changes or diabetes.   Symptoms of cataract usually develop slowly and intervention is not necessary until the visual symptoms are severe enough to cause a change in quality of life.  Our Smithtown New York board certified cataract surgeons see patients with visually significant cataract at younger and older ages, but most long island cataract patients are over 60 years of age.  The technique that our eye doctors use is safe and efficient.  We rarely use stitches, an eye patch, or needles around the eyes.  Our usual cataract surgery takes a few minutes and is completed using eye drop anesthesia and IV sedation.

Adequate pupil dilation is necessary to complete cataract surgery safely.  When patients do not dilate, our cataract surgeons can use medications such as epinephrine injected into the eye or manual devices for dilation.  Dr. Jeffrey Martin, dr. larry zweibel and Dr. John Mauro use iris hooks or a malyugin ring in cases where better visibility is necessary.  With these mechanical devices, pupil dilation is no longer a concern. 

In long island new york in suffolk and nassau counties, we see patients from smithtown, nesconset, saint james, kings park, centereach, selden, coram, middle island, ridge, riverhead, stony brook, setauket, port jefferson, shoreham, wading river, miller place, mt. sinai, rocky point, patchogue, medford, brookhaven, yaphank, shirley, mastic, moriches, bellport, bayport, farmingville, farmingdale, eastport, manorville, calverton, westhampton, east hampton, hampton bays, southampton, quogue, sag harbor, jamesport, cutchogue, mattituck, southold, greenport and many other towns.