Cataract Surgery & Lens Implants

Non-surgical cataract treatment

There is no non-surgical treatment for a cataract. Preventative measures include wearing good ultraviolet (UV) blocking sunglasses to protect your eyes from the sun. Antioxidant vitamins may retard cataract changes.

Smoking accelerates cataract development and should be avoided. Some improvement with glasses is possible until the cataract becomes more advanced. Routine eye exams are important in watching for cataract formation that may be the result of natural aging changes, medicines, or general illnesses.

When should you have cataract surgery?

Cataract surgery is elective. It is done only when the person wants and needs it. Everyone has a different personality and different needs. Choose to have surgery when you cannot see to enjoy or perform to your satisfaction in jobs, hobbies, driving, athletics or outdoor activities. Some people are more demanding of their vision and have surgery earlier than others who are not troubled by diminished vision.

Current cataract technology

Cataract surgery is fast, comfortable, and quite successful. Surgery is usually performed as outpatient surgery. Anesthesia consists of minimal sedation and a local block, usually by drops alone for comfort. The surgery usually takes 10 to 15 minutes. You return home shortly after and most normal activity can be resumed.

All surgical work is done through a self-sealing opening into the eye about the size of a pen tip — sutures are not used. The cloudy lens is removed with an instrument called a phacoemulsifier, which uses ultrasound energy to gently loosen the cloudy lens protein and vacuum it out of the eye.

Once the cloudy lens is removed, a lens implant is necessary to restore the focus of the eye. The lens implant is folded and inserted through the same tiny opening, placed through the pupil behind the colored iris to replace the natural human lens. The lens is permanent and restores the focus of the eye.

Cataract lens implants

When the cataract — the cloudy lens — is removed, the haze is eliminated. However, the focus of the eye must be restored. Intraocular lens implants are made of acrylic or silicone and can be folded to permit placement inside the eye through the tiny incision already made for cataract removal.

The power of the lens implant is usually calculated to give the best distance vision possible without glasses. Some patients prefer to have their implant set so that they will not need glasses for near tasks instead. Glasses may be necessary to sharpen vision for more demanding distance tasks like driving or for fine near tasks.

Advanced-technology lenses are available to correct astigmatism (toric lenses) and to restore distance, intermediate, and near vision together (trifocal and extended depth of focus lenses). See our Cataract Lens Guide for a side-by-side comparison of every lens option.

Secondary cataracts & the YAG laser

From several weeks to several years after successful cataract surgery, a cloud may develop behind the lens implant. This is called a secondary cataract and will blur vision much as the original cataract did.

The YAG laser is used in the treatment of secondary cataracts. It makes a small opening in the cloudy membrane behind the lens implant. This requires only minutes and usually results in immediate vision improvement.

Cataract surgery recovery

After surgery people usually go home and rest for the remainder of the day. The first day after surgery your doctor may perform a brief post-operative evaluation. Eye drops are used to promote healing. The eye must be kept clean and protected from injury; for one week a shield is worn over your eye at night.

You may usually resume most normal activities — including work, shopping, driving, hobbies, and most athletic activities — immediately. Activities requiring excessive strain, or that may bring sweat or dirt near the eye, should be avoided for the first week. Do not swim or use a hot tub for two weeks after surgery. Your vision may be quite good immediately or may require a week or more to clear. If glasses are needed, they are usually prescribed three to four weeks after surgery.