Restore Your Vision with Advanced Cataract Surgery in Northwest Georgia
At Professional Eye Associates, our board-certified eye doctors and surgeons are cataract specialists who deliver exceptional care using the latest technology and advanced techniques. With our exceptional team, you can enjoy no-stitch, no-shot, and no-pain outpatient cataract surgery.
When it comes to cataract removal, experience matters. Professional Eye Surgery Center is the one and only AAAHC-certified, All-Eye Outpatient Surgery Center in Northwest Georgia located in Dalton. Every member of our care team specializes exclusively in caring for eye surgery patients, ensuring unmatched precision and patient-focused care. From your initial consultation to recovery, you’ll receive expert attention designed to restore clear vision and help you regain confidence in your daily activities.
Don’t settle for less—trust the leading cataract specialists in Northwest Georgia to deliver the focused care you deserve, right in your own backyard.
What are Cataracts? How Do They Affect Vision?
Cataracts occur when the eye’s natural lens becomes cloudy, preventing light from focusing clearly on the retina. This gradual clouding can cause:
- Blurry vision
- Glare from lights
- Reduced color vibrancy & color distortion
- Difficulty seeing at night
- Double vision in the affected eye
Everyday activities like reading, driving, or recognizing faces can become increasingly challenging as cataracts progress. Cataracts most commonly develop with age, but they can also result from injury, genetics, or medical conditions like diabetes.
If left untreated, this condition can eventually cause blindness. In fact, it is the leading cause of vision loss in the United States. Our optometrists and ophthalmologists specialize in diagnosing and treating cataracts early to restore clear, sharp vision.
Cataract Surgery at Professional Eye Surgery Center
Cataract surgery is a safe outpatient procedure designed to restore clear vision by removing the eye’s cloudy natural lens (cataract) and replacing it with a clear artificial lens, known as an intraocular lens (IOL).
We typically recommend this procedure when vision problems begin interfering with your ability to drive at night, read, watch T.V., or enjoy your favorite daily activities. For some, cataracts may also hinder the treatment or monitoring of other eye conditions like diabetic retinopathy or macular degeneration. By removing the cloudy lens, your ophthalmologist can better assess and treat these issues.
With restored clarity and reduced dependence on glasses, a cataract removal operation can help you regain independence and confidence in your vision. If cataracts are impacting your quality of life, Professional Eye Associates is here to help you see the world clearly once again
What You Need to Know about Cataract
Surgery at Professional Eye
What Happens During a Cataract Removal Procedure?
Cataract surgery is a quick, comfortable, and precise procedure that uses advanced phacoemulsification technology. The process begins with numbing and dilating eye drops to enlarge the pupil, followed by a mild sedative to help you relax.
Your surgeon will make a precise micro-incision to access the cataract. Using high-energy sound waves, the cataractous lens is gently softened and broken into tiny pieces before being carefully removed. Once the cataract is gone, an intraocular lens—customized to your vision needs—is inserted into place, where it unfolds naturally within the eye.
The procedure typically takes 10-20 minutes, though you should expect to spend about two hours total at Professional Eye Associates’ state-of-the-art Surgery Center to allow for preparation and recovery. Patients often report feeling relaxed throughout the process, experiencing only slight pressure but no pain, thanks to numbing drops and a supportive device to keep the eyelids open.
Types of Intra-Ocular Lenses (IOLs)
As THE eye care professionals in Northwest Georgia, we are the only practice in the region that offers a variety of the latest intraocular lenses to suit your unique vision needs, helping you achieve clearer vision through cataract surgery. More advanced choices mean we can provide more personalized vision solutions. Here are the IOLs available to you for cataracts treatment:
- Tecnis Odessey: This innovative lens is the latest multifocal technology with a unique, freeform diffractive surface designed to eliminate gaps between near, intermediate and far distances to offer continuous, uninterrupted vision at all distances while minimizing the need for glasses.
- Toric Monofocal IOL: Corrects astigmatism for sharp vision at a single focus target with less reliance on prescription glasses.
- PanOptix® Trifocal IOL: The first U.S. trifocal lens, providing exceptional clarity at near, intermediate, and far distances while minimizing the need for glasses.
- Standard Monofocal IOL: Reliable option for clear vision at a single distance as long as there is no astigmatism. Otherwise, near vision glasses or full-time glasses may still be needed.
- Standard Monofocal IOL with Monovision: One eye is focused for near while the other eye is focused for distance. Since monovision is not a natural way to see with some potential side effects, you should consult your surgeon about this option.
Your ophthalmologist will help you choose the best lens for you, ensuring your vision solution is tailored to your needs.
How to Prepare for a Cataract Surgery
During your comprehensive eye exam, we will prepare you for cataract removal and ensure you are given the proper personalized care. Be sure to bring your medical history, including information concerning preexisting eye conditions, to your exam appointment. Contact lens wearers should stop contact lenses at least 7 days before the preoperative evaluation to maximize intraocular lens implant calculation measurements. After your exam, getting ready for surgery is simple but essential for a smooth experience.
Your eye surgeon may suggest stopping certain medications and will recommend starting prescription eye drops, disinfecting eyelid scrubs, and antibiotic ointment before surgery to reduce swelling and reduce the risk for infection. Avoid food or drink for several hours prior to arriving at the Surgery Center, and arrange for transportation since it is not recommended that you drive after your procedure.
What are the Risks with Cataract Surgery?
Cataract surgery is one of the safest and most effective procedures, but like any surgery, there are rare but serious risks. Potential complications include infection, swelling, or retinal detachment, though these are rare with modern techniques. At Professional Eye Associates, our skilled surgeons offer exceptional safety by having some of the lowest complication rates in the country, and they use the most advanced technology and latest surgical techniques to minimize your risk to ensure a smooth, successful outcome.
What to Expect After Cataract Surgery
After the procedure, most patients experience no pain or bruising and can return home the same day. Because of the sedatives used during surgery, you’ll need someone to drive you home. It’s important to rest for the remainder of the day and use your prescribed eye drops as directed.
The day after your surgery, you’ll visit our office for a post-op check-up to ensure your eye is healing properly. For the first week, you may have to wear a protective shield over your eye(s) while sleeping to prevent accidental rubbing. Your vision may be slightly blurry initially, but it will improve day by day. In fact, many patients are able to resume driving and routine activities by the next day.
Potential side effects include:
- Irritation and discomfort
- Redness
- Blurred vision
- Rings or halo vision
- Shimmering of lights
- An arc of light or shadow on the outer part of your vision
- Light sensitivity
These side effects are common and will resolve as your eye continues to heal. If your vision remains blurry, it could be due to refractive errors like nearsightedness or astigmatism, which can often be corrected with glasses or contacts. For those seeking clearer vision without glasses, specialized multifocal lenses or astigmatism-correcting lenses may be required and should be discussed with your ophthalmologist prior to surgery.
By the end of the first week, most patients feel mostly healed, with continued improvement over the next few weeks.
See Clearly Again With Professional Eye Associates
At Professional Eye Associates, we use state-of-the-art surgical techniques and advanced equipment to perform cataract surgery with precision and care. Our expert ophthalmologists offer a range of intraocular lens options, enabling you to see clearly at all distances with minimal dependence on glasses.
At our AAAHC-certified Surgery Center in Dalton, you can receive world-class care locally in Northwest Georgia, eliminating the need to travel to neighboring states. Early cataract detection and treatment can greatly improve your vision and enhance your quality of life for years to come.
Schedule a consultation today to explore your treatment options with our experienced, compassionate team.