Cataracts Health Center

Treatment options for cataracts can depend on age, severity of symptoms and how much vision has deteriorated. 

The symptoms of early cataracts may be improved with eyeglasses, brighter lighting, anti-glare sunglasses or magnifying lenses. If these mild treatments don't help, surgery is essentially the only effective treatment.

In cataract surgery, the cloudy lens is removed and replaced with an artificial lens. If you choose surgery to treat a cataract, your eye doctor may refer you to a specialist. If you have cataracts in both eyes, surgery will be done on one eye at a time, usually four to eight weeks apart to allow proper recovery time. 

Not all cataracts need to be surgically removed. But a cataract should be removed only when vision loss interferes with daily activities like driving, reading or watching TV. If you feel that your cataract requires surgery, talk to your doctor to get an expert opinion. Once you understand the risks and benefits of surgery, you can make an informed decision on how to proceed with treatment. 

There are two main types of cataract surgery:

• Phacoemulsification or phaco surgery. This surgery involves a small incision made on the side of the cornea, which is the clear dome-shaped surface covering the front of the eye. The doctor then inserts a tiny probe into the eye that emits ultrasound waves, softening and breaking up the damaged lens so that it can be removed with suction. Phaco surgery is the most common form of cataract surgery available.
• Extracapsular surgery. This surgery involves a longer incision than phaco surgery. In extracapsular surgery, the cloudy core of the lens is removed in one piece. The remainder is removed by suction.

After either surgery, the removed lens is often replaced by an artificial lens called an intraocular lens (IOL). An IOL is a clear, plastic lens that becomes a permanent part of your eye. Light is focused clearly by the IOL onto the retina, allowing the retina to produce clear images to be processed by the brain. 

Cataract removal surgery is one of the most common surgical operations performed in the United States. In 90 percent of cases, people who have cataract surgery have better vision following the procedure.