What to Expect
After your personal cataract consultation with one of our experts, your personal surgical counselors will make all the arrangements for your surgery and answer any additional questions you may have regarding the surgical process. Next, you will undergo several tests and measurements that will allow your doctor to select the right lens implant to your individual needs. A physical exam by a physician assistant will complete pre-surgical care.
Tim Testimonial – Cataract Surgery Patient
One of the team members from The Eye Institute of West Florida will call you to schedule your surgery appointment time. They will provide information on when you should arrive at The Largo Ambulatory Surgery Center (LASC) and pre-operative instructions.
Day of Cataract Surgery
Once you arrive at LASC and get checked in, your eye will be numbed with anesthetic eye drops. We will lie you down on a comfortable, movable bed where you will be given medication to help you relax. Your eye will be dilated and you will be brought in to an operating room where a painless incision of less than 2mm will be made in the clear cornea of the eye by your surgeon or a laser.
Once the incision is made, the cataract is broken into microscopic particles using ultrasonic waves and then gently removed from the eye (phacoemulsification process). Then the lens selected especially for you is implanted to replace the natural lens. If you have astigmatism (irregularity in the shape of the eye) it too can be treated during surgery to ensure better vision without glasses. The incision is usually self-sealing so that no stitches are needed. There is generally no pain and no patch and you can return home immediately.
After Cataract Surgery
The next day your surgeon will check your post-operative eye. Then it’s back to living life and doing all the things you enjoy – from playing golf or driving – without restriction and with reduced dependence on glasses
You will need to avoid rubbing or pressing on your eye. It’s normal to feel itching and mild discomfort for a couple of days after surgery. You may use artificial tears as needed for comfort along with your prescribed medication. Be sure to wait at least 2-5 minutes between using drops to ensure proper absorption. You may use soft tissue or cotton balls to gently clean your eyelids. Your doctor will prescribe medications to prevent infection and control eye pressure. After a couple of days, all discomfort should disappear. Often, complete healing occurs within eight weeks.
Schedule your Cataract Evaluation today
Call (727) 581-8706 to schedule your appointment
Meet Your Cataract Care Specialists
Stephen M Weinstock, M.D., F.A.C.S., is a cataract and LASIK specialist. He founded The Eye Institute of West Florida in 1974, pioneering sub-specialty eye care in Pinellas County. Today, as President and Medical Director, Dr. Weinstock is recognized as a world renowned cataract and LASIK surgeon. He teaches the latest techniques such as”no-stitch, no-patch” cataract extraction and implantation of premium intraocular lenses (IOLs), here and abroad. Dr. Weinstock is also very proud of being the first ophthalmologist to introduce the excimer and YAG lasers to Pinellas County.
In 1999 for his outstanding performance as a refractive surgeon, Dr. Weinstock was honored with the”VISX Star Surgeon” award and placed in the top 5% of refractive surgeons nationwide. He is one of the only surgeons in the country who has been certified by the American Board of Eye Surgery in both Cataract and LASIK surgery.
Dr. Weinstock is also an associate clinical professor of ophthalmology at the University of South Florida.
Robert J. Weinstock, M.D. is a board-certified ophthalmologist and is fellowship-trained in cataract and refractive surgery. He became interested in ophthalmology at an early age – as he watched and assisted his father. Dr. Weinstock has joined the practice in 2001 after completing his residency at the St. Louis University School of Medicine.
He is the Director of Cataract and Refractive Services at the Eye Institute of West Florida and The Weinstock Laser Eye Center. He also is an associate clinical professor of ophthalmology at the University of South Florida, and serves as the Surgical Director of the Largo Ambulatory Surgery Center. He was named one of 250 in Permier Surgeon’s List of Leading Innovators of 2010 for his contributions to cataract surgery and premium IOLs. In addition to performing thousands of vision correcting cataract and LASIK procedures each year, Dr. Weinstock speaks and teaches nationally and internationally on customized cataract surgery and surgical innovations. He is continuously engaged in clinical research and studies to evaluate new technology, many of which are sanctioned by the FDA. He is recognized internationally as an expert on new implant technology and microincisional surgical techniques. He has authored many book chapters on cataract surgery and continues to write journal articles on cataract and refractive surgery.
Neel R. Desai, M.D. is a fellowship-trained ophthalmologist strictly specializing in LASIK, cataract and corneal diseases of the eye. Dr. Desai is a top graduate of the Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine and completed his fellowship in cornea, cataract and refractive surgery at the Wilmer Eye Institute at Johns Hopkins University. He is recognized throughout the country and internationally as one of only 100 surgeons able to perform advanced corneal transplants and other complex cataract, corneal and refractive procedures. He holds pending patents to new surgical products and advanced cornea surgical procedures of his own design. Additionally, Dr. Desai has authored many book chapters in his field of study and continues to write articles in peer review journals.
