Cataract Surgery: All You Need to Know About
Cataract surgery removes the cloudy lens and replaces it with an artificial lens.
The eye’s natural lens is normal, but building up Cataracts loosens its transparency.
The London School of Hygiene report shows that approximately 10 million Cataract eye surgeries are performed worldwide.
These surgeries are safe, with a high success rate of 99% but can cause side effects sometimes.
Read along to learn all about Cataract Surgery.
When is Cataract surgery required
Cataract causes opacification of the lens that interferes with daily life activities.
Those who have an early stage do not require surgery.
They can live everyday life with the help of prescription glasses and lifestyle changes.
You may also require surgery if your Cataract interferes with treatments for other eye disorders.
When deciding to go for surgery or not, you can consider the following
- Can you safely drive your vehicles?
- Do you have difficulty reading or watching?
- Do you experience Photosensitivity?
- Do your vision problems increase your dependency on others?
- Is it difficult to work where attention to detail is required?
Before the surgery
When you decide to go for surgery, your doctor might go through a procedure to identify the type of lens to use.
They also give you information about the types of Cataract surgery to allow you to make an informed decision.
Around one week before the surgery, the doctor performs an ultrasound test to identify any anomalies and the presence of other eye disorders.
The type of intraocular lens will depend on your disorder’s severity, lifestyle, and cost.
The different types of intraocular lenses are,
- Monofocal Intraocular Lens: These lenses provide clear vision for a single distance and do not correct Presbyopia or Astigmatism in aging eyes.
Patients will need to wear their prescription glasses after the surgery
- Multifocal Intraocular Lens: These lenses are designed to have multiple focusing points.
They provide both distance and near vision, reducing the dependence on glasses
- Accommodative Intraocular Lens: These lenses work by adjusting their shape and the amount of light that enters the eye.
They mimic the eye’s natural focusing ability, known as Accommodation
- Toric Intraocular lens: These lenses correct vision problems such as Astigmatism that can’t be fixed with glasses or contact lenses.
You may be asked not to consume anything for 12 hours, including your medicines, before the surgery
Antibiotic eye drops might be prescribed one or two days before the surgery to clear the infection.
During the surgery
Cataract surgery is an outpatient procedure and requires less than an hour.
In the surgery, doctors first put in eye drops to dilate your pupils.
They numb the area with anesthesia. Under the effect, you may be awake during the procedure but feel groggy.
The clouded lens is removed during the surgery, and a clear artificial intraocular lens is implanted.
However, in some cases, a cataract may be removed without implanting an artificial lens.
The surgeon makes a tiny incision in the eye’s cornea during the surgery.
They then introduce a thin needle-like probe at the area where Cataract is built up.
After using ultrasound waves, and laser the Cataract, they break up the Cataract and suction out the fragments.
The capsule of the lens may or may not be kept intact behind, depending on the type of Cataract surgery.
It serves as a support to the intraocular lens and is then placed in the eye.
The tiny incisions close by themselves and do not require stitches.
Your doctor might put an eye patch over your eye to protect it.
After the surgery
The patients are usually allowed to go home 30-40 minutes after the Cataract surgery.
The eye patch can be removed in a few days or as the doctor advises.
They may prescribe special eye drops for four weeks.
In some cases, patients can also experience certain side effects due to the surgery.
Although the recovery process is different for everyone, there are some issues that people commonly encounter.
- Blurry vision
- Dry eyes
- Feeling gritty in eyes
- Halos in vision
- Light sensitivity
- Nausea
- Ocular redness
- Floaters
- Droopy eyelid
Posterior Capsule Opacity
Patients may experience blurry or cloudy vision months or years after the surgery.
This condition is called Posterior Capsule Opacity or Secondary Cataract.
It happens when the posterior capsule becomes hazy or wrinkled and starts to cloud vision.
PCO results from cells growing on the membrane over time, similar to scar tissue.
Those suffering from Diabetes mellitus are at a higher risk of PCO.
The condition is treated with a laser procedure called YAG laser capsulotomy.
Takeaway
Cataract surgery works to improve your vision affected due to cloudy lenses.
The procedure is usually safe, less time taking, and painless.
After the surgery, in some cases, patients may experience side effects for a few days.
Cataract surgery recovery takes around a few weeks to clear your vision.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is cataract surgery painful?
No, Cataract surgery is a painless procedure. The patients are awake during the surgery. Doctors put anesthesia around the eye to numb the area. Patients might feel a little discomfort but not pain during the surgery.
How long does cataract surgery take?
Cataract surgery takes around 20-30 minutes in total. It is an outpatient surgery, and you may be allowed to go home after 30 minutes of the surgery.
What are normal symptoms after cataract surgery?
After Cataract surgery, patients may experience eye pain, ocular redness, blurry vision, or dry eyes. These symptoms usually go away within a few days.
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