Restore clarity and brightness to your vision with the new standard in cataract removal—safer, gentler & highly customizable. Quite simply, this is the best technology in the world.
Laser-assisted cataract extraction with multifocal intra-ocular lenses make it so there are no needles, no blades & potentially NO glasses afterward. This is the future of cataract surgery.
Laser-assisted cataract surgery is a precise treatment that’s highly customized to each patient. The method allows for little to no discomfort during surgery and a more rapid recovery. Patients will experience a gentler cataract removal versus traditional techniques, reduced inflammation & a reduced or no need for glasses or contacts after surgery.
One size does not fit all. There are different options for you to choose from when it comes to your replacement intra-ocular lens (IOL). Your doctor will help you determine the best option for you based on your anatomy, expectations & lifestyle. Cataract surgery pricing can also be confusing. We will walk you through the process and help you fully understand the costs, including what your insurance will and won’t cover, so you can make a confident, informed decision.
The only way to know for certain if you have a cataract is to have a comprehensive Cataract exam. Our highly-experienced doctors can detect early signs of a cataract by looking at the lens of your eye. If a cataract is impeding your vision, the only way to restore it is to remove & replace the cloudy lens. With over 100,000 successful cataract surgeries performed, our SHARPEVISION surgeons take cataract surgery to a new level.
A Cataract is diagnosed when the lens of the eye is cloudy. Much like a dirty window, a cloudy lens is difficult to see through. As Cataracts progress, it becomes increasingly hard to see and do the things you enjoy. If left untreated, Cataracts can result in eventual blindness. Cataract removal quickly & painlessly replaces the cloudy lens with a new lens implant (IOL). Cataracts can affect one or both eyes & are a normal part of aging. If you live long enough, you will likely have Cataracts to some degree, but factors such as smoking, diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure & sun exposure can speed up the clouding of the lens.
A comprehensive, dilated Cataract examination is the only way to know if you have Cataracts. Your medical insurance can cover a portion of the cost of your consultation & surgery, so please bring your insurance information. Depending on your specific insurance benefits, you may have a co-pay due at the time of your consultation. While your exam involves 3D diagnostic testing, it is also our opportunity to learn more about you, your expectations & your lifestyle. All of these factors play an important role in recommending the best lens replacement for you.
The complete exam can take up to 90 minutes. After all the data is collected, your doctor will give you an eye exam, discuss the treatment recommendation, discuss various lens implant options that may eliminate glasses after cataract surgery & answer all your questions. Your visit will include dilation of your pupils, which will affect your eyesight for about 4-6 hours, as you may have experienced with a routine eye exam.
If you are diagnosed with a Cataract, you will be scheduled for your IOL (intra-ocular lens) measurement appointment. Because every eye varies in size & shape, we need to use advanced 3D imaging equipment that builds a 3D map of each eye & tailors the lens & treatment to that map. This mapping technology allows your surgeon to create a customized treatment plan that matches the uniqueness of each of your eyes. Yes, they are different! Your doctor will also go over the IOL types that are available for your eyes & the cost of each, so you can make an informed decision.
If you are in Seattle, your surgery will be performed in our own state-of-the-art surgery suite. If you are in Austin, your surgery will be performed at Center for Specialty Surgeries. When you arrive, you will be checked in and asked to sign an informed consent document. You will also receive a Recovery Kit with all your prescription drops & everything you need for after your procedure. No trip to the pharmacy! We’ll provide specific instructions on how to use the drops, go over questions & schedule your next day post-op appointment.
Next we will put eye drops in your eyes to prepare them for the surgery. Depending on your surgery location, you will be given an oral sedative or an IV to help you relax.. Most people feel sleepy during the procedure. Eye drops are used to completely numb the eye—no needles are used at all! Your surgeon will use the laser to create a circular opening for accessing and removing the Cataract. This opening is about 10 times more accurate than what is achieved by hand. The laser then softens and breaks up the hard cataract for a gentler, safer & easier cataract removal. The new IOL is inserted into the opening and the procedure is complete!
After your surgery, you will spend a short period of time resting in the outpatient recovery area before you are ready to be driven home. You should expect to have blurry vision & mild soreness after the procedure, but you will be able to see your doctor the very next day at your SHARPEVISION location.
If you know you have a Cataract, there is only one option to get rid of it. If you don’t know, take our candidate quiz to find out which procedure is right for you!
SHARPEVISION offers multiple types of advanced IOLs (intra-ocular lenses) for all types of eyes & patient needs. The list of IOL options gets longer every year as the technology gets better. It is an encyclopedia of info on the pros & cons, design types, outcomes, & side effects that our surgeons weigh based on what a patient wants to achieve with their vision, their hobbies & occupation & their eye health history. Your doctor will then make a lens recommendation based on those factors & expectations, along with your unique eye anatomy. If you have specific questions about the lens type that is recommended for you, your doctor will go into more detail and supply you with educational materials.
Dr. Lancaster is a Refractive Surgeon at SHARPEVISION MODERN LASIK & LENS in Austin and Chicago. He has lived all over the world and is fluent in Spanish.
Meet Dr. Nicholas Lancaster
Dr. Barker treats patients at SHARPEVISION Modern LASIK & LENS Seattle-Bellevue. He specializes in refractive surgery as well as premium cataract surgery and lens replacement. He is the lead Cataract surgeon in Seattle-Bellevue.
Meet Dr. Luke Barker
Dr. Li is a board certified Ophthalmologist and Cataract surgeon who also specializes in Refractive Lens Exchange and Glaucoma. He is based at our Seattle-Renton location for patient evaluations and follow-up appointments and operates at our ASC in Seattle-Bellevue.
Meet Dr. Abel Li
No, the laser can’t burn a hole in your eye. But it’s a good question! Find the answers to our most frequently asked questions at SharpeVision. Some of them may surprise you!
If your vision is worse after LASIK or PRK than it was before with glasses or contacts, it’s almost always due to dry eyes or residual prescription. Both of these are fixable with time (for dry eyes which is almost always the cause of foggy vision for a month or more after LASIK) or with additional laser to touch it up (which is necessary approximately 1% of the time and free for the first year after surgery).
Most insurance/vision plans do not pay towards LASIK or PRK, but we do honor the discount from EyeMed, VSP, and Davis, so that if you’re a member, your out of pocket expense will be the same. Always check with your insurance carrier or health benefits administrator before coming in for your exam. A few forward-thinking companies are currently paying for some or all of their employees’ LASIK, PRK, and ICL including The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Adaptive Biotech, and Zillow in Seattle.
No, not just by looking at your prescription. Your general optometrist measures your prescription and level of astigmatism for glasses and contacts and can refer you to a LASIK provider, but they cannot confirm if you will be a candidate for laser eye surgery. To know if you are a candidate, you need to have a complete eye exam at a LASIK provider. At SharpeVision, we use highly specific equipment to topographically map the surface of your eyes and get multiple prescription measurements, among other things. Our refractive surgeon-trained optometrists will then discuss all the results with you and determine if you are a candidate for LASIK.
