Cataracts Eye Surgery

A cataract is considered as an ophthalmologic disease and it is the condition when the lens of the eyes becomes clouded, resulting in decreased vision that gets progressively poorer over time. The lens of eyes, which reflect light and focus it onto the retina, allows us to see at all distances. The lens is made up mainly of water and protein. The protein is spread throughout the lens to give clear vision, but the aging process sometimes causes the protein to cluster in areas creating the clouding known as a cataract. The vision of eyes dims because the cataracts hinder light from passing beyond the lens and focusing on the retina. Most of the times it occurs due to individual's old age but some other cause such as diabetes, use of steroid, high farsightedness and retinitis pigmentosa, injury to the eye, previous eye surgery and long-term unprotected exposure to sunlight are also the causes that increase the risk of cataracts.

There are some basic symptoms that can be experience due to cataracts are-painless blurring of vision, glare or light sensitivity, frequent changes in eyeglass prescription, poor night vision, needing a brighter light to read,double vision in one eye,fading colors.

Cataracts are classified in three types such as Nuclear Cataract (due to natural aging process, it occurs in the center of the lens), Cortical Cataract (it begins with spoke-like formation extending from the outside of the lens) and Subcapsular Cataract (often seen in patients with diabetes, high myopia, retinitis pigmentosa, and people taking steroids. Subcapsular Cataract starts at the back of the lens and it develops very slowly.

Once the cataracts is formed, then medications, eye drops, exercises or glasses can not make disappear it; rather it can only be removed through the surgery. The two main types of cataracts surgery which ophthalmologist usually performs are Extra-capsular (extra capsular cataract extraction, or ECCE) and intra-capsular surgery (intra capsular cataract extraction, or ICCE). Through ECCE, damaged part of the lens is removed but the procedure leaves the lens capsule intact. Another method i.e. ICCE is performed in more serious conditions and it involves removing the lens completely and replacing it with a permanent plastic lens.

Recuperation period depends on the type of treatment and condition of eyes. Ultimately patient achieves a perfect vision by removing cataracts and can feel comparatively a better daily life.