Long Island Cataract Surgeons in Smithtown and Riverhead Tweet

standard vs. premium cataract surgery A cataract is a clouding of the natural lens of the eye. When a cataract becomes cloudy enough to make the activities of daily living difficult, the board certified cataract doctors and cataract surgeons at North Shore Eye Care will suggest cataract surgery. Our eye doctors and eye surgeons in our Smithtown, Deer Park, Holbrook and Riverhead New York offices in Long Island perform cataract surgery using the most advanced techniques available. Our patients are able to stay in their own comfortable clothes and receive IV sedation to relax. Through a microscopic incision, Dr. Jeff Martin, Dr. Larry Zweibel and Dr. John Mauro use gentle computer controlled ultrasound called phacoemulsification to remove the defective lens of the eye. An intraocular implant or IOL is then placed to restore vision.

In modern cataract surgery, there is a choice in intraocular lens implants. The traditional or standard implant is usually covered by all insurance companies including Medicare. This implant is designed to give a patient good distance vision in those patients that do not have significant astigmatism. Patients that choose standard implants will wear glasses for near activities and if there is astigmatism, many of these patients will need glasses for near and far. This used to be the only choice in cataract surgery.

Today, there is a premium choice with cataract surgery that is exciting for our Long Island New York patients. There are several intraocular lens implants that are able to give a patient near and far without glasses in many cases. The accommodating choice is Crystalens. Crystalens works by moving slightly in the eye and therefore increases range of vision. Multifocal implants are a premium choice as well. With multifocal lenses, there are rings designed into the lens that alternate for near and far and give simultaneous near and far vision. These implants are the Restor, Rezoom, and Tecnis Multifocal. Our eye surgeons also use the Alcon Acrysof Toric implant that is designed to reduce or eliminate astigmatism. Astigmatism describes a cornea that is more oval than spherical. This creates blur at distance and near. This is corrected by the Toric implant.

Premium lens implants are typically not covered by insurance companies and Medicare. The extra fee accounts for the special implant only. The eye doctor, facility, and anesthesiologist are still covered in routine fashion. North Shore Eye Care offers zero percent financing for two years through Care Credit to help our patients with the added expense. We also encourage flex spending accounts. Dr. Martin, Dr. Zweibel and Dr. Mauro believe in this enhanced technology and we are committed to help our patients enjoy the increased level of visual freedom.