Cataracts are very common in the aging population, causing reduced vision, glare, and problems reading and driving.  As the cataract progresses, people notice more difficulties doing their daily tasks, such as shopping, reading and visiting with friends.  Removal of the cataract is fairly simple procedure using very  modern techniques, often performed outside the hospital in the friendly environment of a reputable surgery center.

A cataract is a progressive clouding of the natural lens inside the eye. The human lens is normally very clear. As this lens ages, the yellowing and  clouding prevents the image from focusing clearly onto the retina. Some degree of cataract formation is quite common in all patients over the age of 50. When a cataract begins to bother a patient's vision, and glasses can't correct the problem, then treatment is indicated. Some examples of when a cataract is interfering with the vision might include difficulty with reading, excessive glare, difficulty driving, difficulty recognizing faces, problems with work or doing hobbies.

A complete eye exam by your eye doctor is the only method of accurately evaluating a cataract. An eye exam with dilation of the pupil will allow the Eye MD to examine the cataract directly and to rule out the presence of other coexistent eye diseases.   Of course, the simple presence of a cataract does not necessarily require surgery.  A cataract is usually not harmful to the eye nor does it cause strain on the other eye.

Cataract surgery is the most successful of all surgical procedures. The modern technique for removing a cataract uses a microscopic incision and an ultrasonic device to break the cataract into tiny pieces which are then easily vacuumed from the eye. This method of removing a cataracts is called "phacoemulsification" and often does not require stitches.  Following removal of the cloudy lens, a small plastic lens is placed in the eye to replace the focusing power provided  by the original lens, often reducing the need for glasses by including some of the person's eyeglass prescription in the new lens.

If you believe you may have a cataract, don't worry. You're not alone. Every year, some 2.5 million Americans have cataract surgery. Most often, a monofocal lens is implanted.

Depending on the person's eye, some may be eligible for the new ReZoom or ReStor multifocal lens. And with these multifocal lenses, vision restoration holds more promise than ever before.
These lenses are the only way that we can potentially restore a full range of vision for cataract patients.

Cataract surgery today, in the hands of an experienced surgeon using the latest techniques, is extremely successful. Over 96% of patients undergoing cataract surgery today have an excellent surgical result and restoration of good visual acuity.  Modern cataract surgery is performed almost exclusively in a surgery center away from the hospital. The procedure is performed with local anesthesia and visual recovery is achieved usually within in the first week.

Cataract surgery is performed by an ophthalmologist, an Eye MD and medical doctor.  If you've been told you have a cataract, and your vision is becoming bothersome and causing some difficulties, call your area's Eye MD, the most qualified eye care practitioner with the most experience with all eye problems.  Rather than going through the expense of updating your glasses so soon after the last time, perhaps it's time to consider cataract surgery.  And there's no reason to travel far distances for an ophthalmologist, as each reader lives within 15 miles of one of these Eye MD professionals.