Cataracts are a common affliction of the elderly. It is believed that over half of people aged 65 or over have an element of cataract development in one eye or both. It is also the leading cause of loss of vision for people all over the world.
Once cataracts have started to develop it is very rare for them to stop doing so. The only way to resort normal vision is to undergo surgery. This may sound dramatic; however, it is a very common procedure and only lasts about 45 minutes. About 200,000 cataract surgeries are done each year and the RNIB (Royal National Institute of the Blind and Partially Sighted People) state that less than 2% experience any serious complications.
Cataracts are where changes in the fibres of the lens in the eye lead to the lens losing its transparency. Severe changes result in the whole lens clouding over and the individual losing their sight completely. Initial symptoms include lights giving off a strong glare and reduced sharpness of vision at night.
During the surgery, the natural lens that has developed the cataract is removed. The missing lens is then replaced with a synthetic one called an intraocular lens. The synthetic lens is made from silicone or acrylic. There are three types of lens; fixed strength, multifocal, and accommodating lenses. The latter work more like natural lenses and allow the eye to focus on objects both near and far, whereas the first two are more fixed.
Cataract surgery is done under local anaesthetic, and the patient will usually be sent home on the same day. If the patient has cataracts in both eye, the ophthalmologist will operate on one eye at a time, allowing that eye to heal before operating on the second. Once the operation is complete, the patient will usually be provided with some dark glasses to shield their eyes for a while. The hospital prescription glasses look like some kind of 1980s nightmare, so we suggest you bring along something a little more stylish, like Tom Ford or Oakley sunglasses. Hey, there’s no reason you cant look good after surgery!
There are three type of cataract surgery:
- Phacoemulsification: where the lens is broken down by a laser before removal. This is the most common procedure
- Extracapsular cataract surgery: where the lens is removed whole from inside the lens capsule in one go. This procedure is used when the ophthalmologist believe the lens is an awkward shape or size
- Intra capsular cataract surgery: this procedure is the rarest and where the whole lens and lens capsule is removed. A surgeon will decide on this surgery if they believe the ligaments that hold the lens are too weak. There is also as greater chance of complication with this procedure, as a large incision is needed
