Leaders in our community EyeHealth NW surgeons collectively perform 10,000 surgeries each year. EyeHealth doctors receive more referrals from doctors than any other eye care providers in the Portland Metro area. We work with over 300 referring doctors, many of whom are our patient's. Our affiliations with all the major area hospitals have earned us a reputation as quality, caring surgeons which explains why so many nurses refer their friends and family to our offices and see us as patient's themselves.

 

Excellence in Eye Surgery

What makes an experience "excellent"? When it comes to surgery at EyeHealth Northwest Surgery Centers, excellence means being exclusively devoted to eye surgery only. We are leaders in Cataract and Laser surgery in the Portland Metro area because our surgeons have devoted the time and resources to create the highest quality surgery centers. Excellence in surgery means providing an unsurpassed level of experience, quality of care, comfort, and safety to our patients.. Even more import, however, is our exceptional staff of professionals committed to helping create better vision through surgery.

The Highest Standards

At EyeHealth Northwest we go beyond meeting the normal standards for eye surgery. We are often the first in the region to employ the latest Cataract and Intraocular Lens Implant technology, and of course we use only the finest equipment as a standard for all patients.

A Great Experience

Our mission is to provide you with the best surgical experience of your life. From the moment you arrive, our staff is dedicated to making your eye surgery a relaxing, pain free, and yes, even enjoyable experience. You can be confident in your decision with EyeHealth. As guardians of your eye health, our staff places your safety first.

For us, every patient experience is important. Therefore, we closely monitor our patient satisfaction surveys to continually improve, and routinely receive glowing reviews from our patients.

Not a film over your eye

A cataract is a clouding of the eye's normally clear lens. The lens is located inside the eye, behind the iris (the colored part of the eye), and helps to focus the light rays for clear vision. With age, and sometimes as a side effect of medications, the lens becomes clouded. This clouding of the lens results in blurred vision. It is not a film over the outside of the eye, as many people think.

With age, and sometimes as a side effect of some medications, the lens becomes clouded with deposits. This clouding in the lens results in blurred vision. A comprehensive eye examination by an EyeHealth NW physician can detect the presence and extent of a cataract. There can also be reasons other than cataract for worsened vision, including diseases of the cornea, retina or optic nerve. If another disease is present with a cataract, perfect vision may not be restored after cataract surgery

Are Cataracts Affecting your Vision

Cataract start out small and at first has little effect on your vision. You may notice that your vision is blurred a little, like looking through a cloudy piece of glass or viewing an impressionist painting.

A cataract may make light from the sun or a lamp seem too bright or glaring. You may also notice when you drive at night that the oncoming headlights cause more glare than before. In comparison, colors may not appear as bright as they once did.

Cataracts could affect your ability to perform the following activites:

• Reading
• Seeing in the distance
• Recognizing faces across the street
• Watching TV
• Seeing in bright light / glare
• Seeing in poor or dim light
• Driving a car
• Moving in unfamiliar surroundings
• Employment / housework activities
• Hobbies / leisure activities

If you think that you may have cataracts, our appointment desk will schedule you for a complete dilated eye examination. As there can be many causes for vision loss besides cataracts, your examination will be quite thorough.

• The examination will start with a discussion of your symptoms. Cataracts can cause a variety of problems, such as difficulty reading fine print, difficulty seeing road signs while driving, or trouble with viewing the television. Cataract patients often give up driving at night because of glare symptoms. Hobbies such as handwork and crocheting can become difficult. Nowadays cataract surgery is indicated when you can no longer see well enough to participate in the activities you enjoy.
• Measurement of your vision and a careful refraction, measurement for glasses will be done. Even if you have cataracts, your vision may be improved adequately just by updating your glasses. It is often possible to put off cataract surgery for years by periodically changing glasses prescription. Eventually, however, a cataract can progress to the point where new glasses will no longer provide adequate clarity of vision. At this point generally cataract surgery is considered.
• During your visit, your pupils will be dilated so that your eyes can be examined inside and out. A cataract is a clouding of your natural lens. The lens is located behind the iris (colored part of your eye). With your pupil dilated the lens can be seen in its entirety. Your doctor will judge the degree of clouding of the lens and discuss whether it would help to replace it with an intraocular lens implant.
• All other area of your eye are closely examined as well. Diseases of the cornea (the clear window in front of the eye), retina, and optic nerve can also cause blurred vision. In particular, detection of diseases such as macular degeneration and glaucoma are critical before considering cataract surgery. A professional can often predict whether or not in a given patient cataract surgery will lead to a significant improvement in visual acuity.
• Following a complete evaluation, patients participate in thorough discussion of treatment options. Of course, there is always the option of doing nothing. Cataract surgery is almost always elective and the timing of surgery is generally up to the patient. Other medical problems may need to be attended to first. A risk-to-benefit analysis will help in the decision of whether to proceed with cataract surgery. Fortunately, modern cataract surgery has a success rate in excess of 95%.
• Once the decision to proceed with cataract surgery is made, there will be a discussion of which intraocular lens implant will best fit your needs. Remember that a cataract is a clouding of the natural lens and surgery involves removing it.

During cataract surgery, a new lens implant is placed in the eye. This implant takes the place of the cloudy cataract lens. The implant is positioned behind the iris where the cataract was located. These intraocular lens implants come in all different powers and styles. New developments in lens implant technology allows vision correction of astigmatism and presbyopia (need for reading glasses), as well as nearsightedness & farsightedness. Lessening or eliminating your need for glasses simultaneously with cataract surgery is now an exciting new option for you to consider.

Open your eyes to Visual Freedom

Lens implants have been used in nearly all cataract operations performed in this country since 1982. This wonderful invention allows patients to see after cataract surgery without thick glasses or contact lenses that were necessary in the past. These lens implants are called monofocal lenses.

Today lens implant technology allows for more choice in vision correction benefits and outcome after cataract surgery.

Advanced Monofocal Lens: This monofocal lens implant provide superior quality of vision with glasses after surgery.

Quality Distance vision without glasses:

Toric Lens: Correct your astigmatism renewing the ability to see distances without the hassle of corrective eyewear.

Quality Distance, Intermediate and Near:

Premium Lens: Corrects your distance, intermediate and near vision, thereby reducing your dependence on glasses for your activities after surgery.

For more information about the lens implant technology, or which lens type is right for you, talk with your doctor about advanced options for cataract surgery.

Not your Grandparents Surgery

Cataract surgery has changed dramatically over the last 20 years. Many patients remember the days when the operation required a hospital stay of several days with the patient’s head in sandbags and weeks of recovery. Retinal detachment was a frequent complication and thick aphakic glasses were necessary for clear vision.

Comparatively, today’s moderate cataract surgery is totally different. The operation is now done on an outpatient basis, typically in our own Surgery Centers. The actual surgery is 10 to 20 minutes in length and typically painless.

Your Procedure

A mild sedative takes care of any anxiety during the surgery. A very small incision is made through a bloodless area of the eye and the cataract is removed with ultrasound. A foldable implant is rolled up like a carpet and insert through the same small incision. It is fit into the eye behind the pupil where the cataract was located before removal. The wound seals on its own and is quite secure.

Recovery

A sheild protects the eye the first day and then the patient wears a shield at night for a week. Regular activity is possible right away. Eyedrops are used on a tapering schedule for one month after surgery to reduce the risk of infection and help healing.

Activities Permitted after Surgery:

• Showering or bathing
• Walking
• Reading, writing, watching television
• Bending, lifting

Activities to Avoid after Surgery:

• Any activities that could result in bumping or injuring the eye rubbing the eyes