Cataract Surgery

The normal function of an eye lens is to focus light so that you can see clear, sharp images. When a cataract occurs, the lens inside your eye becomes cloudy making it difficult to see well enough to carry out your daily activities.

One or both eyes may be affected and, as the cataract develops, it gradually restricts the amount of light that is able to enter your eye, and you may experience some or all of the following symptoms; blurred vision, colours seem faded, frequent changes required to your spectacle prescription or visual problems with light.

Most cataracts are a natural result of ageing but they may occur in younger people due to a variety of reasons including diseases such as diabetes or glaucoma and trauma or injury to the eye amongst others. There is also a tendency for cataracts to run in families.

Cataracts can be a gradual progressive condition that can take many years to develop. If the symptoms of your cataract affect your day-to-day activities, you may consider an operation to remove the cataract and replace it with an artificial lens implant. This will allow the light to pass through to the back of your eye again.

During the operation, the cataract is removed and replaced by an artificial lens (implant). The most common way to remove the cataract is by a technique called Phacoemulsification. A small incision is made in the front of the eye and a probe is passed through the incision. The probe breaks the cataract into very small pieces, which are then sucked out leaving the clear lens capsule behind.

A plastic lens is then folded and passed through the incision into the lens capsule, where it unfolds to its normal shape. The small incision usually heals itself, although occasionally a stitch is required.

Immediately after the operation your eye may look red. This is due to the local anaesthetic given at the start of the operation and the antibiotic injection given at the end of the operation. This redness is normal and settles down over 4 weeks. Most patients experience little or no pain following the operation, except for a mild gritty sensation, which may occur, but this usually settles within 4-6 weeks.

Cataract surgery is a very common operation that has a very good success rate. Like any operation, there are some risks involved. Professor Stanga will take great care to limit the chance of these problems occurring. A possible problem that could occur during cataract surgery is the lens capsule bag breaking.

If the lens capsule bag breaks during the operation some of the cataract may float into the jelly at the back of the eye, and Professor Stanga may need to perform a second operation called a vitrectomy.

The most serious sight-threatening problem that can happen during cataract surgery is internal bleeding inside the eye. Less than 1 in 1000 patients operated on will have this problem.

Sometimes scarring can occur after cataract surgery and this is quite common. When you have cataract surgery the lens is removed and a new one is inserted but the outer capsule remains in situ and supports the new lens. This capsule can thicken or become cloudy resulting in reduced vision and glare. When this happens Professor Stanga will recommend that you undergo a procedure called laser capsulotomy. This is performed using a YAG laser.