Cataract: symptoms, surgery and lens choices explained

What a cataract is

Behind the pupil sits a clear lens that focuses light onto the retina. With age its proteins change and it becomes cloudy and yellow. Light is scattered rather than focused, so vision becomes misty, colours look dull and glare becomes troublesome.

Cataract is not a growth or a skin over the eye. It is the lens itself losing clarity, which is why the treatment is to replace the lens rather than to remove anything from the surface of the eye.

Why cataracts form

• Age, which is by far the commonest reason
• Diabetes, which can cause cataract earlier and progress faster
• Long term steroid medication, including tablets, inhalers, injections and skin creams
• Previous eye injury, inflammation inside the eye or previous eye surgery
• Heavy lifetime sun exposure and smoking
• Rarely, a cataract present from birth, which needs urgent attention in a baby

What care at Standard Eye involves

Assessment covers vision and glasses testing, examination of the front of the eye and the lens, eye pressure, and examination of the retina to check that the back of the eye can support good vision after surgery. Measurements of the eye are taken to select the replacement lens power.

Standard Eye Specialist Hospital performs small incision cataract surgery and phacoemulsification with intraocular lens implantation, including complex cataract surgery. The surgeon confirms which technique suits your eye at the pre-operative assessment.

Frequently asked questions

Can eye drops or medicines clear a cataract?

No. There is no drop, tablet or exercise that clears a cataract. Surgery to replace the cloudy lens is the only treatment.

Does a cataract have to be ripe before surgery?

No. That belief comes from older techniques. Surgery is offered when the cataract interferes with the things you need to do, and very dense cataracts are in fact more difficult to operate on.

Will I still need glasses afterwards?

Most people need glasses for some tasks, commonly reading, because a standard implant gives clear vision at one distance. Your options are discussed before surgery.