About Cataract:
In a healthy eye, light enters the eye and passes through a clear lens. In cataract, the lens becomes cloudy and blocks light from passing through. This causes blurred vision.
In a healthy eye, light enters the eye and passes through a clear lens. In cataract, the lens becomes cloudy and blocks light from passing through. This causes blurred vision.
Cataracts are caused by changes in the lens of the eye. A few things can increase your risk of cataract. These include:
As you get older, your eyes start to age and may form cataracts. This is very common. While people above the age of 45 are at a greater risk, cataract can sometimes occur in children. Luckily, both adult and childhood cataracts can be treated.
Cataracts are treated through a safe, effective surgery. Your doctor will remove your cloudy opaque lens and replace it with an artificial lens. This lens is called an “Intraocular Lens”, or an IOL. Since light can pass through this new lens, clear vision is restored. Unlike contact lenses, the IOL stays in your eye forever. There are many types of IOLs. Doctors and counsellors can help you choose the best lens for you.
In adults, surgery is done under local anesthesia. You will be awake, but you will not feel any pain. Depending on your condition, your doctor may do the surgery with a machine or manually. The machine surgery is called phacoemulsification or “PHACO” and the other one is called Manual Small Incision Cataract Surgery (MSICS). Both surgeries are common. Your doctor will choose the safest option for your eyes.
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Complications are very rare and most can be treated. They usually occur when a patient has another eye disease that interferes with vision. If you have another eye condition, your consulting doctor may want to treat it before the cataract surgery.
Risks include:
You will likely need to take eye drops on the day before surgery, the day of surgery, and just after surgery. An eye doctor or counsellor will provide you with specific instructions as to when to apply the drops. Please inform the doctor if you are allergic to any medications.
Do not use any other medicines on your eyes. Follow the doctor or counsellor’s instructions carefully. For quick healing without any complications, you must take your medicines as advised.
After the surgery, your vision should slowly get better. At first, your vision may be blurred. Your eyes may be itchy, watery, or slightly red for a few days. This is a normal part of healing. With proper care, your eyes should heal completely within 8 weeks.
Once you return home, you will need to take the following precautions:
For the first month, you will also need to:
Precautions to be followed after cataract surgery:
If you have severe eye pain, redness, or vision loss, please visit an eye hospital immediately.
In the early stages, glasses may be used. You may need to change them often. For the best vision, surgery is advised. There are no medications to treat cataract.
If the cataract reaches an advanced stage, vision will deteriorate. At this stage, cataract can also increase the pressure in the eye. This increases the risk of glaucoma.
If you have cataracts, your eye’s natural lens is cloudy. This blocks light from passing through the eye and results in blurred vision. Cataract surgery replaces this cloudy lens with a transparent Intra Ocular Lens (IOL) that doesn’t block light.
For most people, surgery is a quick, safe way to restore clear vision. It is the only way to treat cataract. The surgery can significantly improve your quality of life.
You do not have to stay. Surgery can be done as a day care procedure and the patients can go home a few hours after surgery.
There are 6 types of rooms. Please see Inpatient Care in What to expect at Aravind? for more information.
Yes. Please refer Health Insurance for more details
The two type of surgery are Manual Small Incision Cataract Surgery (SICS) and Phacoemulsification (PHACO). Some newer PHACO surgeries may be FEMTO laser assisted. Manual surgery uses rigid lenses, while PHACO uses foldable lenses. Aravind offers many types of IOLs.
PHACO generally has a smaller opening, earlier recovery, less induced astigmatism, and better IOLs. However, it may not be possible for everyone. Your doctor will choose the best option for you.
PHACO should be possible in most cases, except the most advanced ones. Your doctor will decide if you are eligible.
Yes. Depending on your eye condition, it can be done without injection.
If you have no other eye problems, yes. For healthy eyes, the risk of complication is very low.
You will need to wear near-vision glasses after the surgery. Some people may need to use distant-vision glasses for the best results.
If you don’t want to wear the near-vision glasses, you should tell your doctor to consider implanting a multi-focal lens.
For your safety, you will need to wear the dark sunglasses for 1 month after surgery at least outdoors.
No. Some people may get Posterior Capsule Opacity (PCO). This is when a layer behind the lens becomes cloudy or opaque. PCO is a possible side effect of surgery, but it is easily treated with a laser.
Unless it is an emergency, you cannot change the lens. The lens you choose will be in your eye for the rest of your life.
The new lens should provide clear vision for the rest of your life.
Yes – a doctor’s opinion will be needed, but it should be possible.
Yes. You will need to get fitness from physician or the specialist who treats your systemic condition.
Yes, as long as your blood sugar levels are under control.
Yes, you can take all regular medicines, except diabetes tablets.
You will need to get your eye checked after 1 month.
For PHACO surgery, 10 days is usually enough.
Yes. Both vegetarian and non-vegetarian are fine.
With PHACO surgery, you can go back to work after 10 days. With manual surgery, you can return after 1 month.
You can only take a head bath after 15 days. Before that, you can take a body bath. Keep water away from the face.
Not right away. You will need to wait at least 15 days before you can do yoga. For yoga that increases the pressure on the eye (such as kapalbhati), you may need to wait 3 weeks.