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About Cataract

Declining of the vision due to a cloudy area in the lens of the eye results in a cataract. It grows gradually over a period and can affect one or both eyes leading further to permanent blindness. Thus cataract removal via laser eye surgery for cataract is the most preferred and successful procedure.

Don’t let cataracts take your vision away. Seek proper treatment for cataracts from expert doctors near you.

Leaving cataracts untreated is a very big risk as it can lead to permanent blindness.

Cataract Surgery

What is Cataract Surgery?

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Cataracts are very common as you get older and seems like a cloudy area in the lens of your eye. You can get cataracts due to eye injury or eye problem like glaucoma post-surgery.

Initially, the symptoms may seem a common hindrance but over time, cataracts will make your vision less colourful, blurry or hazy and you may encounter difficulty to read or perform the everyday activity.

Cataract surgery, also known as lens replacement surgery is a method of removing the clouded natural lens of the eye and replacing it with an artificial lens (also known as an intraocular lens). It is performed when the natural eye lens becomes opaque and causes vision loss. 

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How do cataracts form?

Cataracts form over the eye lens which is responsible to focus the light that enters the eye. The lens is present behind the colored part of the eye, i.e., iris. It produces a clear and sharp image on the retina. Due to reasons like aging, trauma, radiation exposure, etc., the mechanism of the lens may get disturbed. It will lead to the accumulation of clumps of protein that is present in the lens. As the protein starts depositing, it forms a cloudy layer over the lens which halts the transmission of light to the retina. 

The cloudiness of the lens is called cataracts which continue to develop over time, making the lens denser, thicker, and less transparent. As a result, the vision declines and becomes blurry over the years. 

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Types of Cataract:

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Nuclear Cataracts
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Cortical Cataracts
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Posterior Subcapsular Cataracts

Causes

Symptoms

The lens of your eye is made up of water and proteins which begin to break down and hang around in your eye over time. Consequently, these nagging proteins make your lens cloudy and seeing clearly becomes hard for you. Yet there are several other factors that can speed up the formation of cataracts, such as:

  • Diabetes

  • Medicines used in treating arthritis or lupus

  • Tranquilizing drugs used in treating schizophrenia or bipolar disorder

  • Past injuries or surgeries of the eyes

  • Upper body radiation treatment

  • Direct exposure to UV rays

  • Family history

  • Foggy or blurry vision

  • Sunlight, glare or headlight sensitivity

  • Abrupt nearsightedness or glass replacement as per prescription

  • Diplopia (Double vision)

  • Need for brighter light to read

  • Struggle to see at night

  • Errors in perceiving colour

DIAGNOSIS

  • To determine whether you have a cataract, Doctors will review your medical history and symptoms, and perform an eye examination.

  • The Eye Specialist may conduct several tests, including a visual acuity test using an eye chart to measure how well you can read a series of letters. 

  • Later with the slit-lamp examination, the specialist will illuminate your cornea, iris, lens, and the space between your iris and cornea to detect if there are any abnormalities.

  • And finally, the doctor will need to dilate your pupil to make it bigger and check the health of your eye.

  • Monitoring how much vision is blocked, the doctor may also be able to see if there are other rising problems too.

Risks & Complications during the surgery:

  • Though risks and complications are rare during cataract surgery, the cataract surgeon still looks out for risks like:

  • Inflammation can occur in the eyes as the cornea or sclera is cut to perform the surgery 

  • Infection 

  • Bleeding 

  • Drooping eyelid 

  • Dislocation of the artificial lens 

  • Glaucoma 

  • Secondary cataract

  • Loss of vision 

Risks & Complications if left untreated:

  • The effects of cataracts are determined by how fast it is advancing. In the beginning, cataracts will negatively impact your daily life as you won’t be able to read, work, drive, or follow any of your hobbies due to reduced vision. 

  • Eventually, if cataracts are left untreated, they will cause total blindness that will be irreversible. 

How to prevent it?

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  • Have regular eye examinations as they will allow you to detect cataracts as well as other eye problems at the earliest stage possible. 

  • Quit smoking as soon as possible. Take medications, counseling, or use other strategies while you are trying to quit. 

  • Manage other health conditions you have that can increase your risk of developing cataracts, especially diabetes.

  • Eat a healthy diet that consists of plenty of fruits and vegetables with antioxidants and is rich in fiber, vitamins, and minerals. 

  • Wear sunglasses and avoid ultraviolet light exposure as much as possible as it can increase the risk of cataracts. 

  • Avoid drinking alcohol as it can also increase the risk of cataracts. 

OUR CATARACT SPECIALISTS DOCTORS

Dr. ABCD
MBBS,
10 yrs of experience

Dr. ABCD
MBBS,
10 yrs of experience

Dr. ABCD
MBBS,
10 yrs of experience

Cataract Surgery

Cataract surgery can be performed through various techniques, such as: 

  • Phacoemulsification 

An ultrasound probe will be used to break up the lens for removal. This removal of the lens is done through phacoemulsification which involves making tiny incisions in front of the cornea. 

Then the probe is inserted into the lens where the cataract has formed. The probe emits ultrasound waves to emulsify the cataract and suction out the fragments without harming other components. The backside of the lens is preserved to place the artificial lens there. After that, stitches may be used to close the cornea. 

  • Microincision Cataract Surgery (MICS)

It is an advanced technique that involves the removal of the entire lens. In this technique, a self-sealing scleral tunnel wound is created to carry out the procedure. The size of the incision made in this type of cataract surgery is very small and the surgery is carried out with higher precision. 

  • Extracapsular Cataract Extraction (ECCE)

It is a conventional type of cataract surgery that involves the removal of most parts of the lens except for the elastic lens capsule, also known as a posterior capsule. It is left in place so that the artificial lens can be implanted there. An incision of 10-12 mm is made in the cornea or sclera through which the procedure is carried out. 

  • Intracapsular Cataract Extraction (ICCE)

In ICCE, the lens and lens capsule is removed completely by making a large incision. After lens removal, the artificial plastic lens is placed either in the anterior chamber or sutured in the sulcus. This type of surgery has many risks due to the large size of the incision. That is why it is rarely performed in countries where microscopes and other technologies are readily available. 

  • Femtosecond Laser-assisted Cataract Surgery (FLACS)

It is another modern technique to perform cataract surgery where the laser is used to make an incision as well as to remove the clouded lens. It is one of the safest and most effective techniques to treat cataracts. 

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