Cataract sugery

A cataract is a clouding of the eye’s, normally clear, internal lens. It occurs as a part of the eye’s aging process.  Some people with cataracts can see quite well. When the lens of the eye turns cloudy enough to interfere with the individual’s daily activities, it is dangerous. In fact, cataracts are the main cause of blindness worldwide.

Cataract surgery is the procedure of removing the cloudy lens of the eye, and replacing it with an artificial clear lens.  This surgical procedure is highly successful.

The surgery is performed under a microscope to provide a magnified view of the eye.  A small incision is made in the eye, and the front surface of the cataract is opened to allow access to the clouded tissue inside.  The cloudy portion is then removed, leaving the thin clear skin of the lens intact.

The cataract can be removed either with a ultrasonic device called a phacoemulsifier or manually with the extracapsular technique.  The lens implant is then placed in the capsule, or shell, of the natural lens, and the incision is closed.

Phacoemulsification is the most advanced technique in use today, allowing for cataract removal through a tiny, secure opening less than 3mm long.  An ultrasonic probe, which vibrates at 40,000 times a second, is inserted through the incision.  The ultrasonic action gently breaks the cataract up into tiny pieces, which are then suctioned out of the eye. The intraocular lens is then inserted, and it stays in position permanently. This type of procedure has dramatically shortened the recovery period in cataract surgery.

More than one million cataract surgeries are performed each year in the United States and it has become one of the safest and most successful procedures in all of medicine.