Cataract
Surgery

Southwest Eye Institute offers advanced cataract surgery in El Paso, including personalized lens options, dropless surgery, no-IV surgery for many patients, and care from experienced cataract surgeons.

What Are Cataracts?

Our eyes function very much like a camera. You have two natural lenses in each eye. One lens is on the surface (cornea) of your eye, and a second lens is within your eye, called the crystalline lens. Together, these lenses focus images inside the back of your eye on the retina. At birth, our crystalline lens is clear. As we begin to age, it yellows and begins to harden. When it becomes cloudy, it is defined as a cataract and begins to interfere with the quality of our vision.

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What is the Cause of Cataracts?

Everyone will eventually develop cataracts as they age. Age-related cataracts may develop during middle age, but typically, they only begin to affect vision after age 60.

image of cataract eye stage progression

Health conditions like diabetes, eye injuries, prolonged use of steroid medications, UV ray exposure, and tobacco use also cause cataracts. Symptoms of cataracts include blurred images, dull, bright colors, and difficulty seeing at night. Cataracts may also be why your glasses do not seem to help keep things in focus as well as they used to. As cataracts develop over time, people tend to accept and adjust to the decline in their vision.

Discover Your Lens Options

Choose Your Lens

Advanced Cataract Surgery

We’re proud to offer the region’s most advanced, comfortable, and convenient cataract surgery experience. We aim to restore your vision and improve your life, with less stress and more comfort.

Dropless Surgery

We proudly offer “No Drop, No Prescription” cataract surgery for convenience and cost savings. We were the first center in Texas to provide this exciting convenience to our patients. Not only does it save often hundreds of dollars in eye drops, but it also means not having the inconvenience of using multiple drops before and after the cataract surgery. This helps in both monetary and self-convenience!

No IV Surgery

Typically, the most painful part of cataract surgery is getting an intravenous (IV) placed in your hand or arm. That is why here at Southwest Eye Institute, we eliminated IVs for most patients! We offer a unique combination of oral medication to reduce anxiety and/or provide sedation to give you a comfortable experience, usually without an IV. However, if you do prefer the additional sedation offered by an IV, our anesthesiologist will be happy to provide that for you.

Glaucoma Treatment

During cataract surgery, if you have glaucoma, we can often treat your glaucoma at the same time as your cataract surgery by performing “micro-invasive glaucoma surgery (MIGS)” by placing an iStent® at the time of surgery. In our experienced hands, this usually adds less than one minute to your cataract surgery but helps lower your eye pressure significantly. Many patients can stop glaucoma drops after our cataract surgery with MIGS.

Dedicated Eye Surgery Center

Adjacent to the Southwest Eye Institute is the Vista Surgery Center, the area’s only center dedicated 100% to the surgery of the eyes. We also boast an extremely high patient satisfaction rate, a zero percent infection rate, and an amazing, compassionate team dedicated to your health and comfort. As you can see, we have an unparalleled attention to detail and approach to cataract surgery. We look forward to helping you obtain better vision

We proudly offer “No Drop, No Prescription” cataract surgery for convenience and cost savings. We were the first center in Texas to provide this exciting convenience to our patients. Not only does it save often hundreds of dollars in eye drops, but it also means not having the inconvenience of using multiple drops before and after the cataract surgery. This helps in both monetary and self-convenience!

Typically, the most painful part of cataract surgery is getting an intravenous (IV) placed in your hand or arm. That is why here at Southwest Eye Institute, we eliminated IVs for most patients! We offer a unique combination of oral medication to reduce anxiety and/or provide sedation to give you a comfortable experience, usually without an IV. However, if you do prefer the additional sedation offered by an IV, our anesthesiologist will be happy to provide that for you.

During cataract surgery, if you have glaucoma, we can often treat your glaucoma at the same time as your cataract surgery by performing “micro-invasive glaucoma surgery (MIGS)” by placing an iStent® at the time of surgery. In our experienced hands, this usually adds less than one minute to your cataract surgery but helps lower your eye pressure significantly. Many patients can stop glaucoma drops after our cataract surgery with MIGS.

Adjacent to the Southwest Eye Institute is the Vista Surgery Center, the area’s only center dedicated 100% to the surgery of the eyes. We also boast an extremely high patient satisfaction rate, a zero percent infection rate, and an amazing, compassionate team dedicated to your health and comfort. As you can see, we have an unparalleled attention to detail and approach to cataract surgery. We look forward to helping you obtain better vision

Actual Cataract Patient

“I opted for the Tecnis Symfony lenses, and I am glad I did. I can now read the smallest font on my smartphone and drive my car, all without my readers or my contact lenses! Simply amazing! The Tecnis Symfony lens is truly a blessing, as are the staff at Southwest Eye and of course, Dr. Ellman. Thanks again, Doc!”

David S.

Actual Cataract Patient

I have received a gift of life because now I can see far and near and this has made my life so much better. I traveled from Puebla to El Paso for my operation because of the reputation of the Southwest Eye Institute. They treated me great, I felt comfortable and calm as the doctor and his team gave me great confidence. I often speak of my experiences and everyone is surprised at the treatment I received, the rapid recovery, the technology they had, and how well I can see.

Eloisa W.

FAQ: Cataract Surgery

Cataract surgery is a procedure that removes the cloudy natural lens inside the eye and replaces it with a clear artificial lens called an intraocular lens. This helps restore clearer vision when cataracts make daily activities harder.

You may need cataract surgery if blurry vision, glare, faded colors, night driving difficulty, or frequent prescription changes interfere with your daily life. A cataract evaluation can confirm whether cataracts are causing your symptoms and whether surgery is the right next step.

Most patients do not describe cataract surgery as painful. Your eye is numbed before the procedure, and Southwest Eye Institute offers comfort-focused options, including no-IV surgery for many patients.

Dropless cataract surgery uses medication placed during surgery to reduce or eliminate the need for multiple prescription eye drops before and after the procedure. This may help improve convenience and lower eye drop costs for some patients.

You may still need glasses after cataract surgery, depending on your lens choice, prescription, eye health, and vision goals. Standard monofocal lenses usually focus at one main distance, while advanced technology lens options may help reduce dependence on glasses.

Lens options may include standard monofocal lenses and advanced technology lenses designed to address astigmatism, near vision, intermediate vision, or a broader range of focus. Your doctor can recommend options based on your eyes, lifestyle, and goals.

For some patients with glaucoma, cataract surgery may be combined with microinvasive glaucoma surgery, also called MIGS. This may help lower eye pressure and reduce the need for glaucoma drops in appropriate candidates.

Many patients notice clearer vision within a few days, but healing can continue over several weeks. Your doctor will give you personalized recovery instructions and tell you when you can return to driving, work, exercise, and other activities.

Yes. Southwest Eye Institute offers cataract surgery in El Paso, with cataract care connected to locations including Common Drive and Mesa. A cataract evaluation can help determine your treatment plan and lens options.

You can schedule a cataract evaluation with Southwest Eye Institute to review your symptoms, confirm whether cataracts are affecting your vision, and discuss cataract surgery, lens options, recovery, and next steps.