Cataract
It's a fact - everyone will eventually get cataracts. Some people may get them earlier or to a lesser extent than others, but they are almost always age-related. Cataracts occur when the lens of the eye becomes increasingly cloudy, causing vision to become blurred or impaired. This can make it difficult to read small letters or watch TV, and you may also experience glare from light sources such as street lighting and car lights. As you get older, especially over the age of 65-70, you are more likely to require cataract surgery. In Denmark, cataract surgery is the most commonly performed eye surgery. An ophthalmologist can easily diagnose cataracts by examining the lens and retina of the eye with a microscope. Unfortunately, cataracts can only be treated with surgery. However, the surgery is a short-term outpatient procedure in which the cloudy lens is replaced with an artificial lens.
Scandinavian Eye Center is Denmark's leading private clinic for cataract treatment. Our team consists of the country's most skilled surgeons, nurses, and opticians, who use the latest equipment and the best lenses available. We never compromise on the quality of treatment provided to our patients, ensuring they feel safe and confident from their first contact with us to the final result.
When we perform cataract surgery, we remove the cloudy lens from the eye through a small incision and replace it with a clear, high-quality artificial lens. With the help of a comprehensive preliminary examination, we can correct your vision using monofocal lenses that best suit your daily needs and preferences. Special lenses (multifocal/trifocal) can also be used to correct both distance and reading vision. However, this type of treatment is not covered by the public health system, and therefore, the patient must bear the cost of the treatment.
A typical procedure for cataract surgery typically looks like this:
1. Preliminary consultation
2. Surgery of first eye
3. Surgery of the second eye (within four weeks after surgery of the first eye)
4. Potential control (1 to 7 days after last surgery)
5. Potential extra control (3-6 weeks after last surgery)
During the preliminary measurement, we measure your vision. During this examination, we take a series of measurements of your eyes. Right before the examination, we will administer eye drops to dilate your pupils, which helps us to examine your eyes more thoroughly. Additionally, we provide detailed information about the procedure, the surgery itself, and the follow-up appointments.
The day before surgery, you need to apply eye drops to the eye that will be operated on. You can do this from home by using two types of eye drops that are available at the pharmacy. On the day of the surgery, you will receive local anesthetic eye drops for the eye at the clinic.
Comfort throughout the process
Undergoing cataract surgery can bring up numerous questions and uncertainties. This is why it's important to conduct a prior consultation to ensure a positive outcome and obtain answers to any doubts you may have. The surgery itself usually lasts between 10 to 15 minutes. During the procedure, the ophthalmologist makes a tiny incision, just over 2 millimeters, to perform the surgery. The incision is so small that it doesn't require any stitches, and the eye heals quickly. You can return home immediately after the surgery.
The time after the surgery
After the surgery, you can resume your normal lifestyle as soon as the day after the procedure. However, we recommend that you avoid engaging in hard physical work or swimming in chlorinated water, as it can pose a risk of infection. We will conduct a follow-up check within 1-5 working days after the operation to ensure that everything is in order. For 3 weeks after the surgery, you should regularly apply two different eye drops to your eyes three times a day. If you are unable to apply the drops yourself, you can get assistance from a home care provider who will come and administer the drops for you. Approximately 1 month after the surgery, you need to schedule a follow-up appointment with your ophthalmologist to ensure that your eyes are healing properly.
Den endelige fastlæggelse og vurdering af den nye synsstyrke og eventuelle behov for nye briller kan først vurderes ca. 1 måned efter operationen. Vi har en døgnbemandet akut-telefon, hvis der er noget som føles forkert eller alvorligt. Patienter, der er opereret, kan ringe til dette nummer. Det er en god tryghed for vores patienter, og en vigtig del af vores samlede behandlingstilbud.
Many types of lenses are available on the market, but not all of them are created equal. At Scandinavian Eye Center, we take quality very seriously and always use the best lenses available. Lenses for the eye can be divided into two main categories: monofocal and multifocal/trifocal. Both of these types of lenses can be found with and without astigmatism correction.
Good distance vision: Monofocal lenses are known for providing excellent contrast vision and delivering a clear image. However, since these types of lenses have a fixed strength, patients have to choose between optimizing their distance vision or reading vision. Consequently, most people still need reading glasses after undergoing monofocal lens surgery. In some cases, distance glasses may also be required.
Multifocal/trifocal lense: You may have heard of glasses with transition lenses that allow for clear vision at different distances. A similar option is possible with implantable lenses. These are also known as multifocal/trifocal lenses and allow for sharp vision at near, medium, and long distances. However, it may take some time to get used to multifocal lenses compared to single-strength lenses, as they require adjusting to the transition between different distances. It's important to note that multifocal lenses are not currently available as part of the public health system's treatment offer. Therefore, if you require surgery with these lenses, you will need to pay for it out of your pocket, or through your health insurance or Sygeforsikringen Danmark.
Lenses that correct for astigmatism: If you have astigmatism, there are two types of lenses that can help correct it - monofocal and multifocal lenses. The lenses that are specifically designed to correct astigmatism are called "toric" lenses. However, these lenses are more expensive than the standard monofocal lenses and require more measurements before your doctor can recommend them. Depending on certain criteria, toric lenses may be offered as part of the public health system's treatment options. To ensure the best possible outcome, all patients who need to replace their eye lenses undergo a thorough examination and interview with the doctor to uncover all possibilities and preferences.
Second cataracts can sometimes develop in patients who have previously undergone cataract surgery. These second cataracts can cause symptoms that are similar to the initial cataract, such as blurred vision and sensitivity to bright light. It can also be challenging to see correctly when driving in low-light conditions.
Second cataracts occur when the lens membrane preserved during the initial cataract surgery becomes cloudy.
Treatment for second cataracts is a quick, outpatient procedure that feels more like an eye exam than surgery. It is performed with a laser, under local anesthesia with eye drops, and the problem is removed immediately.
After undergoing treatment for second cataracts, it is common to experience temporary glare for a duration of 4-6 hours due to pupil dilation caused by eye drops. You may also feel a slight cloudiness in your eye, which could lead to redness and itchiness for a few days following the treatment. However, these are minor discomforts that usually subside quickly.
After the treatment, you can return home and resume normal activities. However, you will have to refrain from driving on the day of the treatment.
It is extremely rare, but a potential side effect of second cataract treatment is retinal detachment. If you experience any discomfort following the treatment, such as flashes of light that are visible even when your eyes are closed, or if you notice a shadow similar to a curtain, it is important to contact us or see an ophthalmologist immediately.
How can we help?
Book an online consultation and talk to one of our ophthalmologists, who will guide and inform you about your treatment options.