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Cataract Surgery

When the natural lens inside the eye becomes less transparent — or more opaque and cloudy — it causes blurred vision and is called a cataract. Everyone develops cataracts over time with aging, but some medication use, medical diagnoses, social habits or trauma can accelerate development. The age of cataract development varies from individual to individual, and family history also plays a role. No one can prevent cataracts from forming. However, healthy lifestyle choices, such as avoiding smoking and excessive sun exposure, can delay cataract development.

When cataracts mature to the point that the patient has difficulty seeing well enough to perform regular activities of daily life, and correction is not possible with glasses or contact lenses, the cataract is considered "visually significant" and requires surgical removal to restore vision.

At the same time the cataract is surgically removed, an artificial lens implant or Intraocular Lens Implant (IOL) is placed in the patient's eye to provide the ability of the eye to "focus". There are many types of IOLs available, some of which can help correct astigmatism (the irregular shape of an eye) and others that can help correct presbyopia (the inability to focus up close). Choosing the IOL that is best for the patient involves a detailed discussion with the ophthalmologist surgeon.

Many patients report improvement in their quality of life after the removal of "visually significant" cataracts.