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Cataract and Cataract Surgery

Cataracts usually are caused by a natural aging change which causes your normally clear lens to become cloudy and opaque. Sometimes a cataract can be caused from trauma or you can even be born with one.

Symptoms of cataracts vary. The can cause debilitating glare and halos from sunlight and headlights or they can cause just a gradual blurring of your vision. Usually, cataracts start as a mild inconvenience which progressively gets worse until they interfere with your everyday activities and prevent you from doing the things that you like to do. Generally, it is at this point when we will start to discuss cataract surgery. Just because your doctor tells you that you have cataracts does not mean that you need surgery. It is only when the cataracts start to affect your lifestyle that we need to discuss surgery.

Today, cataract surgery is not as complicated as it was years ago. In most cases, you can resume your normal activities (except bending and stooping) the next day. However, it is still surgery and carries certain risks and complications- be sure to discuss these with your surgeon. During cataract surgery, your surgeon will go inside the eye, remove the cataract that has your vision all blurry and then insert an implant that will help you see more clearly. It is standard of care for everyone to get an implant. The implant is a crystal clear lens that replaces your normal lens that became a cataract. You will still need a slight pair of glasses to achieve your best vision after surgery.