Cataract Surgery
Ophthalmologist & LASIK Surgeon Serving Chicago, Lombard & Naperville Areas Of Illinois
More than 25 million Americans have cataracts, making it one of the most common age-related vision conditions experienced by men and women across the United States. When cataracts develop, your eye’s lens becomes cloudy. This causes light to scatter, preventing it from focusing properly on the retina. As more cataracts form over time, your vision will become increasingly blurry. If left untreated, cataracts can eventually result in blindness.
Fortunately, you don’t have to lose your vision due to cataracts. Dr. Richard Foulkes performs cataract surgery to remove your eye’s clouded natural lens and replace it with an artificial lens that restores clear vision. He has over 20 years of experience performing cataract surgery, and he uses the most advanced laser technology in order to achieve the best possible results.
You can find out whether cataract surgery is right for you by speaking with Dr. Foulkes in person. Please call 630-724-1400 today to schedule a consultation. We serve patients in Chicago, Lombard and the surrounding areas of Illinois.
- What Are Cataracts?
- Cataract Surgery
- Laser Cataract Surgery
- Your Laser Cataract Surgery Procedure
- Benefits of Laser Cataract Surgery
- Recovery after Cataract Surgery
- Premium IOL Options
- Will I Experience 20/20 Vision after Cataract Surgery?
- Cataract Surgery Cost
- Why Choose Foulkes Vision for Your Cataract Surgery
- Contact Our Chicago Cataract Surgeon
What Are Cataracts?
When excess protein forms in your eye and collects in cloudy masses, it is called a cataract. Over time, you will develop an increasing number of cataracts, which will result in a visible fogging of your eye’s lens that prevents you from seeing properly. Cataracts are an age-related condition that impacts individuals over the age of 40. However, the majority of patients don’t begin experiencing vision impairment until the condition reaches more advanced stages, which may not occur until much later in life.
During the early stages of cataract formation, you may not notice any symptoms. However, as your eye’s lens becomes increasingly cloudy, you may experience:
- Blurry vision
- Sensitivity to light
- Poor night vision
- Double vision
- Seeing bright colors as faded
- Glare and halos around bright lights
- Difficulty seeing clearly in low light conditions
- Frequent changes to your eyeglass prescription
Many people find that these vision issues impact their ability to drive at night and engage in activities which require seeing fine details. In the earlier stages of cataract development, you can generally maintain clear vision by increasing the severity of your eyeglass prescription. However, you may eventually need cataract surgery once your eye’s lens becomes significantly clouded.
Cataract Surgery
Cataract surgery is performed to restore clear vision. During the procedure, Dr. Foulkes will remove your eye’s cloudy lens and replace it with an artificial lens, called an intraocular lens (IOL). The IOL will restore your eye’s natural ability to focus.
Dr. Foulkes typically performs cataract surgery as an outpatient procedure. After administering anesthetics to ensure optimal comfort, Dr. Foulkes uses an ultrasound technique to disintegrate the cataract before removing your eye’s natural lens via suction. The IOL is then inserted in its place.
Take our Cataract Self-Test to find out whether you may be ready for cataract surgery.
Recovery after Cataract Surgery
After surgery, you will need to wear a protective eye covering during sleep for roughly one week. Cataract surgery patients also leave Foulkes Vision with eye drops to help diminish light sensitivity and encourage healing.
During the first week after surgery, it’s important for you to avoid the following:
- Strenuous activity
- Heavy lifting
- Splashing water
- Dust in the eyes
If you do experience blurred vision immediately after your cataract surgery, it generally subsides after a few weeks.
Premium IOL Options
Foulkes Vision is pleased to offer a variety of premium intraocular lens (IOL) options to our cataract surgery patients. These premium IOLs can restore clear vision at near, intermediate and far distances without the need for glasses.
Traditional IOLs are monofocal, which means they only provide clear vision at a single distance. For decades, this was the only IOL option available and as a result, you would need glasses to see clearly at other distances.
Today’s newer, more sophisticated premium IOLs are multifocal and can enable you to see clearly at all distances. This will eliminate the need for glasses after surgery.
Premium IOL options offered at Foulkes Vision include:
- Symfony® – This lens is an ideal solution if you need to treat presbyopia along with cataracts
- Toric® IOL – This lens can correct astigmatism as part of your cataract surgery
- Tecnis® – This lens provides improved image quality at varying pupil sizes and under a variety of lighting conditions
Will I Experience 20/20 Vision after Cataract Surgery?
One of the most common questions Dr. Foulkes hears during a cataract surgery consultation is, “Will I achieve 20/20 vision?” In most instances, the answer is yes. However, there are some exceptions.
Patients with preexisting eye conditions often have unequal results from cataract surgery. The conditions that may impact the outcome of your procedure include:
- Macular degeneration
- Glaucoma
- Macular scarring or wrinkling
- Corneal scarring
During your consultation, Dr. Foulkes will perform a comprehensive eye evaluation. If he detects the presence of any of these conditions, he’ll discuss the ways it might impact your cataract surgery results so that you will have realistic expectations before deciding to move forward with the procedure.
Cataract Surgery Cost
While cataract surgery is generally covered by insurance, advanced options such as premium IOLs are often not covered because they are not considered to be medically necessary. However, most insurance plans will generally cover the surgical portion of the procedure as well as the surgical facility and anesthesiology fee. Any upgrade to premium IOL technology will be an out of pocket expense.
During your initial consultation, our staff will review your insurance benefits with you. We will also discuss the financing options we offer so that you can choose a plan that helps fit these advanced options into your budget.
Why Choose Foulkes Vision for Your Cataract Surgery
Dr. Richard Foulkes has over 20 years of experience performing cataract surgery procedures. His extensive experience enables him to achieve the best possible outcome for the patients.
Dr. Foulkes is committed to delivering unparalleled levels of patient care. He will spend as much time as necessary with you to ensure you understand all aspects of your procedure, and he will personally handle every phase of your surgery. By combining this level of personalized care with the most advanced cataract surgery technology, Dr. Foulkes is able to ensure that you will be happy with your results.
Contact Our Chicago Cataract Surgeon
Please contact Foulkes Vision using the form on this page or call 630-724-1400 today to schedule your cataract surgery consultation. We serve patients in Chicago, Lombard and the surrounding areas of Illinois.