A cataract is an opacity of the lens, which is the natural lens of the eye. This lens helps focus light onto the retina for clear vision. Over time, the lens can lose its transparency, leading to blurred, cloudy, or distorted vision, as if looking through dirty glass. This loss of vision can make it difficult to perform daily activities such as reading, driving, or recognizing faces.
The only effective way to treat cataracts is through surgery. In this procedure, the cloudy lens is removed and replaced with a clear intraocular lens (IOL), which functions like the natural lens and provides clear vision.
Procedure:
Cataract surgery is performed on an outpatient basis, meaning you don’t have to stay in the hospital. It is usually done with topical anesthesia, applying anesthetic eye drops to the eye.
The most common technique is phacoemulsification, which uses ultrasound to break the cloudy lens into small fragments, which are then suctioned out of the eye. Once the cloudy lens is removed, a foldable intraocular lens is inserted through a small incision in the cornea. Finally, the IOL unfolds inside the capsular bag, where the natural lens used to be.
In summary, cataract surgery using the phacoemulsification technique is:
- Very quick and painless.
- Does not require general anesthesia. A few drops of anesthetic eye drops are usually enough.
- The visual recovery is very fast.
