Cataract Surgery &
Lens Implants

About Cataract Surgery

During cataract surgery we remove the cataract and replace it with a clear permanent lens implant (IOL) in order to correct your vision. Among seniors and “baby boomers,” cataract surgery is one of the safest, most effective, predictable and common operations performed the U.S with more than 2.5 million people having cataract surgery & lens implants each year. At Seidenberg Protzko Eye Associates our cataract surgeons Jonathan A. Seidenberg, M.D., Eugene E. Protzko, M.D. & Candice R. Giordano, M.D. provide advanced cataract surgery & lens implants using state-of-the-art technology at the Mid-Atlantic Surgery Pavilion in Aberdeen, and typically perform the cataract operation and lens implant surgery on an outpatient basis which offers comfortable and convenient same-day surgery.

The Cataract Surgery Procedure

Preparation for your cataract operation will begin with a few sets of drops being placed in your eye to dilate your pupil. Additionally, your eye will be treated with anesthetic drops to numb the surface of your eye so that you will feel little if any discomfort during your cataract surgery. In addition you will be given medicines to help you relax if desired. The entire procedure usually takes less than 30 minutes and is not uncomfortable.

About Laser Cataract Surgery

Laser Cataract Surgery is performed by Drs. Seidenberg, Protzko & Giordano at Mid-Atlantic Surgery Pavilion. Cataract surgery is a technically complex type of eye surgery requiring tremendous surgical skill to perform a number of steps that are currently performed manually. From a surgical perspective, our cataract surgeons believe that incorporation of the femtosecond laser into the cataract surgery and lens implant (IOL) procedure is beneficial for:

  • Creating “perfect” incisions-without using a blade or knife-in terms of size and architecture, which is important in order to have the incision seal properly without the use of stitches and to prevent infection.
  • Creating a perfectly centered and sized “capsulotomy”, which is the “opening” prepared in the front of the crystalline lens through which the cloudy lens material is removed.
    Laser capsulorhexis
  • Liquefying, softening or “chopping” the crystalline lens, in order to allow the cloudy material to be removed so as to deliver a gentler eye surgery procedure.
    Laser cataract surgery
  • Creating the possibility of precisely sized and placed corneal incisions, such as might be performed with Limbal Relaxing Incisions (LRI), to correct pre-existing astigmatism.
    Laser limbal relaxing incisions

Laser cataract surgery allows our cataract surgeons to deliver a number of the skill intensive steps of cataract surgery in a safe, more precise and gentler manner. This increased safety and accuracy may lead to even further improvements in the clinical results.

About Lens Implants
During your cataract exam and preoperative measurement visit, Drs. Seidenberg, Protzko & Giordano and the staff will discuss choosing a cataract lens implant to correct your vision and help you see clearly. There are many types of Intraocular Lens Implants (IOL) that we can use in order to provide you with the best results to match your lifestyle and activities after cataract surgery. These different types of lens implants include Monofocal Lens Implants which are the most basic type of lens implant and only correct distance vision and not arms-length or close reading vision, aspheric high definition lens implants which offer a higher quality of distance vision but still do not correct arms-length or close reading vision, toric lens implants for those patients with astigmatism, and presbyopia correcting multifocal lens implants such as the Clareon® Vivity™ Extended Vision Intraocular Lens, the Clareon® PanOptix™ Trifocal Lens Implant, the TECNIS Symfony, the TECNIS Multifocal IOL and TECNIS Synergy™ Lens Implants (IOL) which correct distance vision, as well as a range of arms-length vision and close reading vision for most patients. Presbyopia correcting multifocal lens implants are a good choice for those who wish to reduce their dependence on eyeglasses, bifocals and reading glasses after cataract surgery. We will take the time necessary to answer all of your questions so you can relax on the day of your surgery.
About Light Adjustable Lens Implants (LAL)

Light Adjustable Lens Implant (LAL)

The Light Adjustable Lens (LAL) is type of lens implant that provides your cataract surgeon with the ability to fine tune and customize your optical prescription in order to achieve the best possible results-even after the lens has been placed in the eye! This “adjustability” is achieved through a lens material being able to be “photopolymerized” after your surgery in order to adjust the lens implant shape and prescription.

light adjustable lens implant

The Light Adjustable Lens is placed into your eye during cataract surgery after your surgeon removes the natural lens in exactly the same way as traditional cataract surgery is performed. After lens placement, your eye will be given time to heal on its own. During the time that your eye heals, patients will need to wear protective glasses at all times to keep your eyes from getting any kind of exposure to UV light. Of course, you can only take them off when you’re showering, sleeping, washing your face, or applying eye drops but if you are exposed to any direct sunlight, you must wear the UV protecting glasses in order to prevent the lens from adjusting its shape before your eyes finish healing. After healing, your eye doctor will give you a visual acuity test to help determine what type of light adjustment will provide the best results and schedule you for in-office non-surgical treatment with a Light Delivery Device (LDD) to finalize the prescription.

Light Delivery Device (LDD)

Typically, to achieve the best possible vision, you’ll need to undergo several in-office non-surgical light treatment sessions. They require you to look into the Light Delivery Device for about 90 seconds. There’s no need for further surgery to achieve the final prescription or any other form of invasive treatment. The treatment sessions take place three days apart and most patients do their best with 2 or 3 sessions each. Undergoing several light treatment sessions ensures that your IOL is precisely shaped to your exact prescription. The LAL is helpful in achieving excellent results for patients with astigmatism or those who have complex prescriptions as a result of previous eye surgery, trauma or other situations making precise measurements and calculations of lens implant prescriptions challenging. There are some patients who might not be good candidates for the LAL including:

  • Taking medications that make you more sensitive to UV light
  • You’re on medication that may be harmful to your retina
  • A history of eye infections, herpes, or uncontrollable eye movements, known as nystagmus
  • You can’t follow the schedule for LDD light treatments
  • You are unable to wear the UV-protective glasses after having cataract surgery
After Your Cataract & Lens Implant Surgery

We will arrange to see you within 24 hours of your cataract & lens implant procedure so we can examine you in order to confirm that you are healing and seeing as planned. We may also prescribe some eye drops for you to use and may ask you to wear a protective shield, mainly at night, to remind you not to accidentally rub your eye. Although each patient will heal a little bit differently, the majority of patients having cataract surgery with the cataract surgeons at Seidenberg Protzko Eye Associates are able to see well enough to return to their routine daily activities within a day or so after their procedure.

Mid-Atlantic Surgery Pavilion
Mid-Atlantic Surgery Pavilion is a state-of-the-art Ambulatory Surgery Center dedicated to performing many forms of eye surgery. The facility, which is located in Aberdeen, Maryland was established by the physicians & surgeons of Seidenberg Protzko Eye Associates, a leading ophthalmology group that has been serving the needs of patients throughout Maryland for many years. We are proud to hold the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC) Certificate of Accreditation, joining over 1300 health care organizations across the U.S. that are accredited by the AAAHC. We are one of the few freestanding eye care facilities in Maryland, dedicated to offering specialized treatments in a full range of areas of ophthalmology. Each of our eye surgeons is certified by the American Board of Ophthalmology, who specializes in a specific field of eye care which enables us to meet a wide variety of your needs. Our patients enter a comfortable setting where our professional staff provides the highest level of care. Our staff of board certified anesthesiologists insures that the surgical procedure is performed under close medical supervision with the appropriate sedation to provide a pleasant experience. Mid-Atlantic Surgery Pavilion participates in a wide range of medical insurance plans. For our patients’ convenience, Mid-Atlantic Surgery Pavilion accepts all insurance plans accepted by Seidenberg Protzko Eye Associates.