Cataract Surgery at Baltimore Washington Eye Center serving greater Baltimore & Washington, D.C.

Cataract Surgery is one of the most frequently performed surgical procedures in the United States as well as one of the safest and most successful surgical procedures that you can have. Modern cataract surgery today is safe, effective and predictable. In the United States alone, more than 2.5 million people have cataract surgery each year. At Baltimore Washington Eye Center, which serves greater Baltimore and D.C., Drs. Betancourt & Spagnolo use a small incision technique that is performed on an outpatient basis. Almost all of our cataract surgery procedures are performed at the Baltimore Washington Eye Surgery Center-our on site ambulatory surgery center-which is comfortable, convenient and close to home for patients in need of eye surgery. The entire process usually requires only two hours of your time from beginning to end. The actual surgical procedure is painless and takes less than 15 minutes. Our nurses and staff are present to help with your actual surgery as well as to assist you and make your experience pleasant.

The Cataract Surgery Procedure & Experience

When you arrive at the surgery center, the staff will check you in and review any paperwork that might require clarification or additional information. You will be escorted to a private changing area and asked to cover your street clothes with a gown and your shoes with “booties”. Once you are ready you will be escorted to a comfortable waiting area. 

Your cataract surgery procedure will begin with a staff member placing some drops in your eye to dilate your pupil. Your eye will then be treated with an anesthetic so that you will feel little if anything during your surgery and minimal if any discomfort. In order to help you relax, a small dose of anti-anxiety and/or sedative medication may be given as directed by your doctor.

At the beginning of the surgery, Drs. Betancourt or Spagnolo will place a very small incision at the outermost edge of your cornea.

This incision will be just large enough to allow a microscopic instrument the size of a pen tip to pass through it. This microscopic instrument is a sophisticated and precise instrument that allows them to remove your cataract using ultrasound.

This cataract removal technique is called “phacoemulsification” and is the preferred technique of cataract surgery for most patients. Next, Drs. Betancourt or Spagnolo will gently pass the microscopic instrument through the tiny incision. Sound waves or “Ultrasound” produced at the tip of the instrument will be used to gently break the cataract into pieces small enough to be washed away, drawn through the instrument and removed from your eye. 

After the cataract has been removed, they will insert a new, clear permanent Intraocular Lens Implant (IOL) into your eye. The replacement lens will actually be inserted and placed in the correct position through the same tiny incision at the outer edge of the cornea through which Drs. Betancourt or Spagnolo removed the cataract.

Upon completion of your cataract and lens implant surgery, one of the surgery center staff members will take you to a comfortable place where you will be able to rest and relax prior to going home. After resting for a short while, a surgery staff member will discharge you and have a family member or friend drive you home.

Drs. Betancourt & Spagnolo will arrange to see you at Baltimore Washington Eye Center within 24 to 48 hours of your cataract and lens Implant surgery so we can examine your eye and confirm that you are healing and seeing as planned. They will also prescribe some eye drops for you. Although each patient will heal a little bit differently, the majority of patients having cataract surgery with Drs. Betancourt & Spagnolo are able to see well enough to return to their routine daily activities within a day or so after their cataract surgery.

An Important Note About Cataract Surgery

A significant number of men in their 50’s and 60’s and beyond experience an enlarged prostate as part of the aging process. Today, many men are taking the prescription medication Flomax or other similar medications that are members of the class of drugs called “alpha-agonists”.

IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT YOU NOTIFY OUR STAFF BEFORE YOU HAVE CATARACT SURGERY IF YOU ARE TAKING ANY MEDICATION FOR AN ENLARGED PROSTATE

In August 2006, a joint advisory letter was issued by the American Academy of Ophthalmology, American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery, and the American Urological Association that identified that drugs such as Flomax, commonly used to treat an enlarged prostate, and other alpha-blockers can cause abnormal movement of muscles controlling the opening and closing of the iris. During cataract surgery, the pupil must stay enlarged or dilated to allow the cataract surgeon to easily view the Crystalline Lens. Flomax and certain other alpha-blockers including Hytrin, Cardura, and Uroxatral can interfere with pupil dilation, creating a condition known as Intraoperative Floppy Iris Syndrome (IFIS).

If you are taking one of these medications and notify your eye surgeon or the staff, they will be able to take extra care to make sure the pupil stays dilated to prevent unexpected complications during your cataract surgery. 

Patients in need of a Cataract Surgery who wish to learn more about Cataract Surgery in the greater Baltimore or Washington, D.C area will find that Baltimore Washington Eye Center is conveniently located for Cataract Surgery from Arbutus, Carney, Clarksville, Columbia, Dundalk, Edgemere, Essex, Ellicott City, Ferndale, Glen Burnie, Kenwood, Laurel, Linthicum, Lutherville, Millersville, Odenton Owings Mills, Reisterstown, Towson, Parkville, Randallstown, Rivera Beach, Pasadena, Severna Park, South Gate, and Woodlawn Maryland. To schedule an appointment call us at 800.495.3937.