There are over 24 million Americans over the age of 40 who are affected by cataracts, so it only seems appropriate that an entire month should be dedicated to education and awareness.

What are cataracts?

Cataracts are a clouding of the lens of the eye, which prevents passage of light into the eye. Having a cataract is like looking through a foggy or dusty car windshield. Things look blurry, hazy and less colorful when a cataract is present.

What is the treatment for cataracts?

The solution to cataracts is cataract surgery, which requires an ophthalmologist (eye surgeon) to make a small incision on your cornea, remove the cloudy, deteriorated lens and replace it with an artificial lens called an intraocular lens or IOL. Cataract surgery is one of the most commonly performed surgeries in the United States, as over 3 million Americans undergo cataract surgery annually.

Is cataract removal safe?

Cataract surgery is one of the safest and most effective surgeries with a success rate of 95 percent. The surgery lasts only about 15-20 minutes, and is conducted in an outpatient surgery center.

Do cataracts only affect seniors?

Cataracts do not discriminate and can affect anyone. While most people do not show symptoms of cataracts until at least the age of 40, cataracts can also affect young adults and even children. Certain factors can cause cataracts to develop an earlier age: Heredity, disease, eye injury and smoking—to name a few.

Can I prevent cataracts?

Unfortunately, as we get older, cataracts start to form, and there is no proven way to prevent them. However, you can slow the progression by choosing to live a healthy lifestyle and eating well, not smoking, and reducing exposure to sunlight by wearing UVA/UVB protective eyewear to ensure that your eyes are as healthy as they can be.

BLOOMINGTON, Minn. – (May 10, 2016) – Sightpath Medical announces the selection of Donald M. Downer, M.D., as MoFe™ Medical Director. In this role, Dr. Downer will advise the company on current and imminent industry trends and best practices as they relate to our technology platforms. The MoFe™ Medical Director also serves as a professional liaison between Sightpath and the current and prospective laser cataract surgeons who use our equipment, as well as the facilities in which they perform cases, to provide perspective and offer clinical peer review.

Dr. Downer has an impressive background in Ophthalmology. He currently performs cataract and refractive surgery in private practice with Clay Eye Physicians & Surgeons in Jacksonville, FL. Dr. Downer also serves as an adjunct clinical professor at the University of Florida in Gainesville, FL, where he assists with the training of young ophthalmic surgeons. He is a cornea surgeon with special interest in lifestyle intraocular lenses, diseases of the cornea, corneal transplantation, ocular surface reconstruction and ocular infectious disease. Dr. Downer is a member of several professional organizations including the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery, Florida Society of Ophthalmology, Florida Medical Association and the Clay County Medical Society.

“Sightpath is excited to welcome Dr. Downer as our new Medical Director. His philosophy for patient care and innovation closely matches our vision to provide state of the art eye care to residents in every community, regardless of size,” said Joel Gaslin, Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Sightpath Medical. “This is an exciting time of rapid change in the ophthalmic industry. For the 425 laser cataract surgeons currently partnering with Sightpath and all those who will be partnering with us in the future to access this technology, I am confident that Dr. Downer will serve as an excellent resource to help them be successful.”