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Illness & Treatment

Cataracts Definition

The lens of the eye, which is responsible for focusing images onto the retina, is normally transparent.Cataract removal is a procedure that is necessary to remove a cataract that is a cloudy or opaque area in the lens of the eye that is causing impaired and blurred vision.

As someone becomes older cataracts become more common.

The lens begins to cloud and causes a progressive, painless decrease in vision, which results in a cataract removal being needed to restore optimum vision.

Procedures for Cataract Removal

There are two common cataract removal methods.

Phacoemulsification technique:

An ultrasound probe breaks the cloudy lens into tiny fragments and removes them through a small incision.

A plastic lens implant is inserted to replace the natural lens.

As the incision is tiny, stitches are often not necessary and visual improvement is usually noticeable immediately after surgery.
Extracapsular technique:

This removes the cataract is one entire piece and requires a larger incision and stitches than the Phacoemulsification technique.

A plastic lens implant then replaces the natural lens. Recovery is usually slower, due to the larger incision.

Cataract Removal—Success Rates

The outcome of cataract surgery is usually excellent, the operation has low risk, the pain is minimal, and recovery time is relatively short.

The patient can leave straight after the operation and can expect complete healing in about 10 weeks.