4 Important Things To Know About Cataract Surgery

If your doctor has detected an early development of cataracts or if you are beginning to have visual symptoms such as poor color vision, blurry vision, etc. You can improve your vision by undergoing surgery as suggested by your doctor. The development of cataracts rarely tends to show long-term risk to the eye. So surgery should be the only way when you are witnessing visual symptoms. Seek answers to the following questions when discussing this surgery with your surgeon. Find more important things about cataract surgery at discoverVision.

How will your surgeon perform the cataract surgery?

The surgical procedure of removing a cataract is suggested to prevent progressive disease or damage to the eye like macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, etc. The medical name of cataract surgery is phacoemulsification, which takes only 20 minutes to complete. Your surgeon will make a tiny incision in the eye's surface by using a microscope and inserting a probe that utilizes ultrasonic vibration for dissolving the clouded lens. After removing the cataract, your surgeon will place an artificial lens to focus properly after the surgery.

There are two different types of surgery involved which occur in advanced symptoms.

• Extracapsular cataract surgery – You’ll need to undergo this surgery if the lens is too dense to dissolve into fragments. An artificial lens is introduced into the eyes. Here several sutures are required to close the wound, and it takes a long time to recover.

• Intracapsular cataract surgery – Patients would need this surgery in significant trauma conditions. After removing the entire lens and surrounding capsule, the surgeon places the intraocular lens in a wide variety of locations within the front part of the iris.

• Are there any risks or complications involved with this surgery?

The success rate of this surgery is quite high as it is the safest procedure for improving one’s vision. Some rare complications can arise, such as persistent inflammation, retina swelling, infections, alterations in eye pressure, retinal detachment, etc. Even though they are rare, they may lead to vision loss. Discuss the possibilities of such complications with your surgeon.

• What should you expect before the surgery?

Before your surgery, you should discuss all aspects of the surgery with your surgeon in depth. You should tell them about your medications and whether you can continue taking them before the surgery. This is important as it helps your doctor decide the strength of the intraocular lens that needs to be implanted. Your surgeon will ask you to perform a test to determine your medical history and determine if you are fit to undergo this surgery.

• What should I do after the surgery?

After the cataract surgery, you need to visit the surgeon for follow-up and repeat it for a couple of weeks. This should be done to ensure that your eyes are healing correctly. Your doctor may suggest applying eye drops to protect your eyes against inflammation and infection.