The Self-Sealing Incision
OVERVIEW
Thanks to medical and surgical advancements in recent years, cataract surgery has become one of the most gentle medical procedures performed today. The restoration of precious eyesight is accomplished every day at St. Luke's through tiny incisions that do not even require stitches. The chances of developing astigmatism (distorted vision) after surgery are significantly decreased by eliminating stitches, which tend to pull the eye's surface slightly out of its natural shape. Most patients are now able to enjoy their best possible vision with minimal recovery time.
This is possible thanks to a tiny, beveled incision commonly called the "self-sealing" incision. It is called "self-sealing" because the eye's natural internal pressure holds the incision tightly closed allowing the eye to heal without stitches. The self-sealing is made at the edge of the "clear cornea," and is less than 2.5 mm in length. The clear cornea is the transparent covering of the front of the eye.
The cataract is situated inside the lens capsule, which is like an elastic bag that holds the lens in place. To remove the cataract, the front portion of the lens capsule is carefully opened. The cataract is gently broken apart using ultrasonic vibrations and vacuumed out of the lens capsule. This technique is called phacoemulsification. The lens capsule is left undisturbed so a tiny lens implant can be inserted in place of the original lens.
Many types of lenses are used; most are made of either hard plastic or soft, foldable silicon.
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