Guide To Cataract Surgery

Cataract surgery is a surgical procedure that is performed for the treatment of cataracts, a condition that affects the eyes where the lens becomes clouded when it should stay clear. This cloudy covering on the lens causes trouble with visual performance, making it difficult to drive a car, see another individual's facial expression, and read. Cataracts develop slowly over several years and usually do not cause any symptoms during the early stages. Common symptoms that eventually develop from cataracts include clouded vision, dim vision, blurred vision, problems with vision at night, glare sensitivity, seeing halos around lights, frequent prescription eyewear alterations, yellowing of colors, and double vision in one eye. Even when cataracts have developed, stronger lighting and specialized glasses can be used for treatment until they lose their efficacy.

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When It's Performed

Cataract surgery is performed on a patient who has cataracts in their eyes that have progressed to the point where other methods of treatment are no longer effective. When an individual's everyday life and activities become too difficult to where they are disrupted by vision problems, cataract surgery is needed. In some cases, the presence of cataracts can cause problems with the treatment of another problem with the patient's eye, like diabetic retinopathy or age-related macular degeneration. When other eye conditions re unable to be treated due to the presence of cataracts in the eyes, cataract surgery is recommended. Cataract surgery is often performed at the same time as another eye surgery because it is more convenient, and cataracts have to be removed to perform the other eye procedure. Cataract surgery is a common medical procedure because cataracts are one of the most prevalent causes of visual impairment in individuals over sixty years old.

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