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Cataract

healthy lens vs lens with cataract

What is a Cataract?

A cataract is a condition in which the lens in the eye becomes cloudy. It is the leading cause of blindness worldwide. A cataract can occur in either one or both eyes. Cataracts can cause blurry vision and glare. If left untreated, severe cataracts significantly impair one's vision. Poor vision will have a negative impact on one's quality of life. A person with significant cataracts may face difficulties with everyday activities, such as reading, driving, and even walking safely. Cataracts have been associated with an increase in falls and depression.

Causes of Cataracts in Singapore

Cataracts tend to develop because of ageing or when injury changes the tissue that makes up the eye’s lens. Proteins and fibres in the lens break down and clump together, causing the lens to become cloudy and your vision to become hazy.

Risk Factors of Cataracts

Most cataracts in Singapore are caused by the natural ageing process. However, these factors increase the risk of developing cataracts at an early age:

  • Certain health conditions (e.g. diabetes) 
  • Exposure to high levels of UV light 
  • Certain medications (e.g. steroids) 
  • Previous eye injuries 
  • Smoking

Ways To Delay the Onset of Cataracts

  • Wear sunglasses with UVA and UVB protection
  • Wear a hat with a brim to block out the sun when you are outdoors
  • Eat a healthy diet rich in antioxidants and vitamins
  • Stop smoking

Cataract Treatments Options in Singapore

Early Cataracts

Early cataracts which do not affect your vision significantly do not require treatment. Update your spectacles prescription regularly so that you can achieve the best possible vision. You can also make slight changes to your home and work environment to alleviate the symptoms of cataracts, including using magnifying lenses and brighter light for reading and other activities.

When cataract progresses and affects your daily activities despite these simple measures, you may require cataract surgery. Surgery is the only way to get rid of a cataract.

Cataract Surgery 

Cataract surgery is the most commonly performed eye surgery in Singapore. The surgeon removes the cloudy natural lens of the eye and replaces it with an artificial lens.

Cataract surgery is a day surgery procedure, and you can usually go home on the same day. An eye drop or an injection around the eye is used to numb your eye, so that you would not feel any pain during the surgery. You may also receive intravenous medications which would help you to be relaxed and comfortable. Most patients share that they do not feel much pain during cataract surgery, though they may experience a sensation of pressure on the eye. 

Phacoemulsification

Most cataracts are removed by phacoemulsification. The natural lens in the eye is contained in a lens capsule. In phacoemulsification, an opening is made in the front part of the lens capsule. Ultrasound is used to break up the cloudy lens into tiny fragments which are then suctioned and removed. An artificial lens is then inserted within the lens capsule. The incision for phacoemulsification is very small and most of the time, stitches are not required.

​Extracapsular Cataract Extraction

A much less common procedure for removing the cataracts is called extracapsular cataract extraction. This technique is used when the cataract is very advanced and dense, or if there are complications during phacoemulsification, e.g. if the back of the lens capsule has a defect, or if the lens capsule is unstable. In this procedure, a larger incision allows the cataract to be removed in one piece. An artificial lens is then inserted to replace the natural lens and stitches are required to close the larger incision. Recovery from this type of cataract surgery is usually slower.

Premium Cataract Surgery

  • Complex Cataract Surgery

Dr Chelvin Sng is trained and accredited in complex cataract surgery, including phacomorphic lenses, small pupils, floppy iris syndrome, angle-closure, dense / white cataracts, lens subluxation, and scleral-fixation of intraocular lens.

  • Bladeless Cataract Surgery

Bladeless cataract surgery (also called laser cataract surgery) uses femtosecond laser to create corneal incisions and to break up the cataractous lens. Dr Chelvin Sng was amongst the first surgeons in Singapore to be accredited in laser cataract surgery.

  • Cataract PLUS procedures

Dr Chelvin Sng specializes in Cataract PLUS and was one of the earliest surgeons in Asia to perform Cataract PLUS in glaucoma patients (minimally invasive glaucoma surgery).

To improve your quality of life, cataract surgery can be combined with other procedures:

Cataract + Glaucoma
Cataract + Presbyopia Correction
Cataract + Astigmatism Correction
Cataract + Myopia Correction
Cataract + Hyperopia Correction
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Cataract PLUS has these benefits over two separate surgical procedures:

✓ Faster recovery
✓ Lower cost

Success Rate of Cataract Surgery in Singapore

The success rate of improving your vision after cataract surgery is high at more than 98%. You may still require spectacles after cataract surgery, but your vision will be clearer with spectacles.

Safety of Cataract Surgery

However, as with any surgery, cataract surgery has potential risks. So, make sure you discuss these in detail with your eye doctor. Fortunately, the risk of complications resulting in significant vision loss is exceedingly low after cataract surgery, occurring in only 1 in a thousand procedures. For the vast majority, cataract surgery is an effective and safe procedure which improves the vision and quality of life of millions of people worldwide each year. 

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    Dr Chelvin Sng of Chelvin Sng eye center

    Dr Chelvin Sng

    Adjunct Associate Professor
    Senior Consultant Ophthalmologist
    ✓ 4 Gold Medals (Specialist Accreditation Examination)
    ✓ "Top 50 Rising Stars” (2017), “Top 100 Female Ophthalmologists” (2021)
    and "Top 100 Ophthalmologists" (2022)
    ⋆ Global Ophthalmologist Power List (voted by peers worldwide)
    ✓ Cambridge University Graduate with Triple First Class Honours and Distinctions

    Address

    38 Irrawaddy Road Mt Elizabeth Novena Specialist Centre, #06-25, Singapore 329563

    Operating Hours

    Mon - Fri: 9am - 5pm
    Saturday: 9am - 1pm
    Sunday / PH: Closed

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