About Cataracts and Cataract Surgery

Cataracts are the leading cause of vision loss for those over the age of 55. The good news for many is that this clouding of the natural lens is often easily correctible with cataract surgery. In fact, cataract surgery is performed more than 3 million times every year in the United States.

Cataracts cause men and women to lose their vision by causing the eye’s lens to become cloudy. To correct this, the surgeon will remove the natural lens and replace it with an artificial lens. There is more than one type of cataract surgery.

The one that is most often used today is called phacoemulsification. The reason that this is the preferred method of cataract surgery is that because the required incision is so small, no stitches are needed. This means a quick healing time and no complications in the vast majority of patients.

Intracapsular and extracapsular are two other types of cataract surgeries. Intracapsular is rarely used at all anymore while extracapsular is reserved only for patients with certain types of natural lenses. Because stitches are required, the healing time is longer and the risk for complications is greater.

To prepare for cataract surgery, the patient will need a couple of days off of work. Also, they will need to arrange for someone to drive them home from the procedure. If the patient takes any medications, they should bring a list to the eye surgeon. There may be certain medication you will be unable to take in the days leading up to surgery.

Happily, complications are rare and occur in only about 3 to 5 percent of those who have cataract surgery. Still, it is important to understand the potential risks which include bleeding, black eyes, a leak at the site of the incision, or the formation of another cataract.    

Cataract surgery usually lasts less than half an hour and most patients do not report any pain following the procedure. Most are back at work within a day or two following surgery. Cataract surgery is usually covered by most health insurance plans.

To learn more about cataracts and cataract surgery as well as Wavefront LASIK and cosmetic eyelid surgery and BOTOX® injections, we encourage you to visit our LASIK office near Palos Verdes.