1. What is a cataract?

A cataract is a cloudiness that appears on your natural eye lens.

2. Are cataracts found only in old people?

Most cataracts develop slowly over the time and affect people over the age of 50. In rare cases, even infants have congenital cataracts. This is usually related to the mother having German measles, chicken pox or another infectious disease during the pregnancy period. But sometimes they are also inherited.

3. I have cataract but the doctor is asking me to wait before removing it. Why?

Mild cataracts often cause no vision or little vision problems. Your doctor is probably monitoring your cataract to see if it gets to the worst stage and more significantly affects the lifestyle before going to operate you. Sometimes the cataract never reaches that stage where they need to be removed. But if in case the cataract is impeding you in driving the vehicle or everyday activity, probably it’s time to consider cataract surgery.

4. Is the cataract surgery a serious operation?

All surgery involves some risk so the answer is yes. But it is very commonly performed surgery. Many cataract surgeons have several thousand procedures done under them. So choose the surgeon wisely, chose the one who is experienced this will reduce the chances of something going wrong.

5. How is cataract removed?

A small incision is made in front of the eye with a scalpel or a laser. A circular hole is then cut in front of the membrane that encloses the natural lens of the human eye. Usually then with the use of either laser of the ultrasonic device the lens is broken into smaller pieces, so that it can be easily removed from the eye.

Once the entire lens is removed, it is replaced by the artificial lens to restore the vision. In most of the cases, the eyes heal quickly after the surgery without stitches. Nowadays with latest evolved technology that the surgery can be performed with a computer-controlled laser instead of manually doing the surgery.

6. What is secondary cataract?

It is also known as posterior capsular opacification. In some cases months or year after the cataract surgery is conducted the posterior portion of the lens that is left inside the eyes during surgery for safety reason becomes hazy, causing vision to again become blurred. It can easily be treated with YAG laser capsulotomy. 15 minutes after the procedure the eye restores clear vision.

7. What risks are involved in cataract surgery?

It is generally regarded as one of the safest surgery but like every surgery it also has some risk involved like inflammation, infection, bleeding, swelling, retinal detachment, glaucoma, secondary cataract or loss of vision.

8. What are my replacement lens options besides cataract surgery?

Depending on your need you can discuss it with the doctor about advanced technology lenses that also addresses cataracts and other vision issues. The issue could be astigmatism, presbyopia or both at the same time.