- With Mayo Clinic emeritus ophthalmologist
Dennis Robertson, M.D.
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Dennis Robertson, M.D.
Dennis Robertson, M.D.
Dennis M. Robertson was born in South St. Paul, Minn., and grew up in a musical family on the Mississippi River. He completed his undergraduate and graduate training at the University of Minnesota, where he received a B.A., B.S. and M.D.
Following an internship at San Bernardino County Hospital in California, he worked for two years on Indian reservations under the umbrella of the United States Public Health Service. He later completed a residency in ophthalmology at Mayo Clinic and pursued postgraduate fellowship training in vitreoretinal disorders at the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute in Miami. He returned to Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., in 1967.
His studies included a sabbatical during 1987 and 1988 at Moorfields and St. Bartholomew’s hospitals in London. His scientific interests have been chiefly in disorders of the retina and vitreous and ocular oncology. In 1999, he became the recipient of the Whitney and Betty MacMillan Professorship.
He retired from full time clinical practice in July 2004. In August 2005, he returned to work part-time at the Mayo Clinic until retiring again in December 2007.
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Question
Cataract surgery: Does the artificial lens deteriorate over time?
I recently had cataract surgery. How long does the artificial lens last? Also, will my vision deteriorate over time?
Answer
from Dennis Robertson, M.D.
In cataract surgery, the eye doctor (ophthalmologist) removes the clouded lens from your eye and replaces it with a clear, artificial lens. This lens is very durable and should last for the rest of your life.
Your vision after cataract surgery generally doesn't deteriorate over time. However, sometimes the lens capsule that holds the implant becomes cloudy. In such cases, the cloudy capsule can easily be treated with a laser to make it clear again.
Most people will require glasses after cataract surgery — either for close-up work, distance vision or both. If you currently wear glasses, your prescription will likely require a correction for close-up work after surgery.
- Harper RA, et al. Cataract surgery. In: Riordan-Eva P, et al. Vaughan & Asbury's General Ophthalmology. 17th ed. New York, N.Y.: The McGraw Hill Companies; 2008. http://www.accessmedicine.com/resourceTOC.aspx?resourceID=19. Accessed April 11, 2011.
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