Restore clarity and brightness to your vision with SHARPEVISION MODERN LENS: the new standard in laser cataract removal surgery. Safer, gentler, and highly customizable, quite simply, this is the best technology in the world.
This is not your parents’ cataract surgery: laser-assisted cataract extraction with multifocal intra-ocular lenses make it so there are no needles, no blades, and potentially NO glasses afterward. This is the future of cataract treatment.
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 techiques, reduced inflammation, and the potential for a reduced 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 lens. Your surgeon will help you determine the best option for you based on your anatomy, expectations, and 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 was to know for certain if you have a cataract is to have a comprehensive eye 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 and replace the cloudy lens. With over 100,000 successful cataract surgeries performed, our SHARPEVISION surgeons take cataract surgery to a new level.
Laser-assisted cataract surgery, the most exciting of the new cataract treatments, 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 gentler cataract removal, reduced inflammation, and the potential for a reduced need for glasses or contacts after surgery. It’s simply the best type of type of cataract surgery.
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 surgery quickly and painlessly replaces the cloudy lens with a new lens implant. Cataracts can affect one or both eyes and 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, and sun exposure can speed up the clouding of the lens of your eye.
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A comprehensive, dilated examination is the only way to know if you have a cataract. Most of our cataract patients come to us knowing they have a cataract after being diagnosed by their primary care optometrist, but it is possible for a patient to come in for a general vision correction exam, and we discover a cataract.
Your cataract exam involves comprehensive diagnostic testing because every eye varies in size and shape. Our advanced 3D imaging builds a 3D map of each eye that allows your surgeon to customize your IOL (intra-ocular lens) measurements and treatment plan to the uniqueness of each eye. Our cataract team will discuss the various IOL (inta-ocular lens) options with you based on your exam results, expectations, and insurance coverage. Your doctor will also prescribe anti-inflammatory and antibiotic eye drops that reduce swelling and the risk of infection. We’ll provide specific instructions on how to use them the day of your surgery.
*Good to Know: the complete exam can take up to 90 minutes. After all the data is collected, our doctors will examine you, discuss the treatment recommendation, and answer any questions you have. 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.
Your surgery will be performed at our state-of-the-art Surgery Center right across the hallway from our Cataract clinic or at Overlake Hospital, depending on your specific needs (98% of our surgeries are done at our ASC). When you arrive, you will be checked in and asked to sign an informed consent document. Then you’ll enter your pre-operative bay (with a personal locker) where your surgeon will meet with you to go over the surgical plan. Next, the anesthetist will give administer a MKO melt for sedation that you take orally. MKO, which stands for midazolam-ketamine-ondansetron, gently influences the central nervous system to provide relaxation and a quieter mind during the procedure. The best part- NO IV required! Your nurse will wheel you into the OR via your motorized chair-which turns into the surgical bed!- which means you don’t have to walk to and from the OR and worry about climbing in and out of a surgical bed.
During the procedure, eye drops are used to completely numb the eye—no needles are used at all. Your surgeon then uses a laser to create a tiny opening for accessing and removing the cataract. This opening is about 10 times more accurate with a laser than what is achieved by hand. The laser then softens and breaks up the hard cataract for a gentler, safer, and easier cataract removal. Your customized lens is then inserted, and the surgery is complete!
*If you are having your surgery at Overlake Hospital, you will be given an IV with medicine that will help you relax.
After your surgery, you will be wheeled back to your bay and spend a short period of time resting before the recovery team goes over your detailed post-operative instructions. Then you’ll gather your things, and we will discharge you from our care into the care of your ride home. You should expect to have blurry vision and mild soreness after the procedure. We will see you the very next day at SHARPEVISION MODERN LENS to make sure all is well!
Could cataract surgery be right for you? There are some conditions that could exclude certain patients…like not having a cataract! Take our quick and easy candidate quiz to find out if cataract surgery could be your vision correction solution.
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
Dr. Kim is an Optometrist in Seattle-Bellevue. He brings a wealth of knowledge to his patients from his education and experience on both coasts.
Meet Dr. Alex Kim
Dr. Yoo is an Optometrist at the Seattle-Bellevue clinic. She brings experience in managing refractive surgery patients as well as specializing in binocular vision.
Meet Dr. Sarah Yoo
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!
We accept most insurance plans, and they vary by state and sometimes year to year, so be sure to ask when you come in. Most insurance/vision plans do not pay towards LASIK, PRK, ICL & RLE, 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.
Of course there are risks associated with every kind of surgery, and laser vision correction is no exception. To put it in perspective, however, the risk of laser vision correction is significantly less than the risks of wearing contact lenses. Yes, you read that correctly. The conclusion of a 2016 article from the academic journal Ophthalmology stated: “Compared with contact lens wear, current LASIK technology improved ease of night driving, did not significantly increase dry eye symptoms, and resulted in higher levels of satisfaction at 1, 2, and 3 years follow-up.” Price MO et al. Ophthalmology. 2016;123(8):1659-1666.
There are two types of laser vision correction surgery: LASIK (Laser Assisted In Situ Keritomileusis, also called Custom Lasik, Wavelight, Topography-Guided, or Z-LASIK) and PRK (Photo-refractive Keratectomy, also called LASEK, Advanced Surface Ablation, or epi-LASIK) LASIK is the predominant type of laser vision correction, whereby a flap is made on the cornea, which is the clear dome of tissue overlying the iris (colored part of the eye). In this surgery, most people see well enough to drive and return to work the very next day. Your vision will continue to improve over several weeks to months, but your sight will be surprisingly good and you will be comfortable only 4-6 hours post-surgery. PRK surgery is quick and painless, just like LASIK. The recovery, however, takes longer and is more uncomfortable for the first two days. Your surgeon will place contact lenses over your eyes to protect the surface while they heal. Your vision will gradually improve over the coming weeks, but will take slightly longer than LASIK to be fully clear. The same laser is used and the end result is the same as LASIK, but PRK is better suited to some eyes for a variety of reasons. The most common reason why you would need PRK is if your cornea is too thin for LASIK. It would also be performed on someone who has had a corneal procedure in the past or for vocational reasons such as entering certain branches of the military.
