Tests for Cataract Surgery

Cataract Surgery – Tests for Patients Before a Cataract Surgery

Cataract most commonly appears due to age. You shouldn’t be surprised that you are diagnosed with cataract when you are aged 50 and above. Cataract is an eye disorder/disease where there is the clouding of the lens inside the eye, which causes which causes vision loss. Cataract is initially corrected with contact lenses or glasses, but where these fail to restore vision, a cataract surgery, i.e. a corneal refractive surgery like LASIK can be conducted to restore proper vision.

Tests for Patients Before undergoing a Cataract Surgery

• 1. Potential Acuity Meter Testing (PAM)
  This test enables the patient and the surgeon to have a clue of the possible vision that can be restored after the cataract surgery in India. During this testing, the doctor will project a chart of letters or numbers into the back of the eye through the gaps in the cataract which enables the patient to read the letters.

Through this, the potential for vision recovery is estimated by the number of lines one could read. It is important to note that the estimated vision is just for reference as the restored vision is most cases greater than the estimated one.

• 2. DBR
  This is a crucial test that enables one to calculate the desired power of intraocular lens during the cataract surgery. An artificial lens, which is implanted in the same location as the natural lens enables one to attain better vision without the necessity of thick glasses or contact lenses after a cataract surgery.

This test involves the use of an ultrasound to measure the length of the eyeball and the results (information) is used along with the Keratometry (the measurement of the curvature of the cornea) results to calculate the IOL power by a given formula.

• 3. Glare Testing
  This testing permits the doctor to assess the deterioration of vision that occurs with the glare. This is because cataract can produce significant scattering of light. With this, people with early cataract may possess good vision under ideal conditions of testing, but they may get altered vision under glare conditions.