“Cataract” refers to a clouding of the natural lens in your eye. It is usually aged-related, but could also be due to medications, diabetes, inflammation or previous trauma. If a cataract has caused blurring or doubling of your vision, glare, difficulty driving at night or has stopped you from doing activities you enjoy, it may be time to consider cataract surgery to remove this cloudy lens.
Cataract surgery is done on an outpatient basis. You will be undergoing light anesthesia (“twilight” sleep) to keep you comfortable. A numbing injection or eye drop will be placed on your eye to keep you pain-free during the procedure. Your cloudy lens is removed through a small incision with a special ultrasonic device to break up the cataract. Once the cloudy lens is removed, a clear artificial lens is placed into the eye. This allows light that enters the eye to focus on the retina, creating a clearer image.
