Cataract surgery how does it work

This will help them determine the size and shape of your eye and decide what is best for your surgery. They may give you medicated eye drops to begin using before the surgery.

Your provider may ask you to not eat any solid food 6 hours before your surgery. You should also avoid drinking alcohol at least 24 hours beforehand. If you have cataracts in both eyes, your surgeries will likely be scheduled weeks apart. Cataract surgery is usually very quick.

The procedure itself takes only about 20 to 30 minutes from start to finish. You may experience slight discomfort, but intense pain is uncommon. Your healthcare provider may give you special eye drops for pain and to prevent infections. Also, you may be instructed to wear a protective mask when you sleep.

Also, try to avoid touching your eyes or getting anything in them. You may be able to drive several days after the surgery. However, you should talk with your eye doctor for a timeline specific to you. However, you may need to avoid certain activities for a few weeks, such as lifting heavy objects or bending over.

You should avoid strenuous activities directly after surgery. Your provider can give you a specific timeframe on how long you should avoid exercise. Although cataract surgery is generally safe, like all surgeries, it comes with risks. These may include:. In 5 to 50 percent of cases, a cloudy layer called posterior capsule opacification can form behind your implant. It can be treated in about 5 minutes with an office-based technique called a YAG laser capsulotomy.

Blurriness is normal shortly after cataract surgery. It usually clears up in a matter of days but may take longer in some cases. Floaters look like specks of dust that follow your line of vision. Dry or gritty eyes is a common symptom after your procedure. This is usually managed with eye drops. Serious pain may be a sign of an infection or other complications. You should contact your surgeon to find the best treatment.

Double vision can have many causes but is often a result of your brain getting used to its new visual acuity. It will likely go away in a few days.

Endophthalmitis is an infection of the fluids of your inner eye. Cataract surgery might sound scary at first, but it's one of the safest and most effective vision surgeries available today. Millions of cataract surgeries are performed in the U. The potential need for cataract eye surgery goes up as you age, when cataracts are most likely to develop or worsen. The cloudy lens inside your eye will be removed and replaced with a clear artificial lens during surgery.

This device is called an intraocular lens , or IOL for short. During any form of cataract removal, special precautions are taken to make sure you're completely relaxed and pain-free.

At worst, patients can experience a slight sensation of pressure, but this feeling isn't painful. A small incision is made along the side of the cornea. A high-frequency ultrasound device or laser is used to carefully break up the cloudy lens into small fragments.

After all fragments have been removed, the surgeon places the IOL behind the pupil and the colored part of the eye iris in the same spot your natural lens occupied. If you need surgery in both eyes, your cataract surgeon will typically wait one to three weeks between procedures, to give the first eye a chance to heal.

The most common type of cataract removal surgery is called phacoemulsification , or phaco for short. A phacoemulsification procedure uses high-frequency ultrasound waves to break up the cloudy lens. The phaco operation is now performed with smaller incisions than ever before, so healing is faster with a much lower risk of complications. Monofocal lenses — The standard options for most surgeries. Your ophthalmologist can help you learn more about costs of cataract surgery.

Discuss your options for affording the procedure. About Foundation Museum of the Eye. Cataract Surgery: Risks, Recovery, Costs. By Kierstan Boyd. Edited By David Turbert. With phacoemulsification. Previous What Are Cataracts? What Is Monovision or Blended Vision? Popular Cataract Answers Can cataract surgery affect depth perception? Video Answer How long will I have blurry vision and glare after cataract surgery? Is routine pre-operative medical clearance needed before cataract surgery?

Why have I regained my balance after cataract surgery? How is the lens power determined before cataract surgery? What are some of the risks associated with not having a cataract removed? Can I prevent or slow the development of my mild cataract? How long do I have to use the antibiotic eye drops after cataract surgery? However, many IOL s are flexible, allowing a smaller incision that requires few or no stitches. The surgeon folds this type of lens and inserts it into the empty capsule where the natural lens used to be.

Once inside the eye, the folded IOL unfolds, filling the empty capsule. Discuss the benefits and risks of the different types of IOL s with your eye surgeon to determine what's best for you.

During phacoemulsification — the most common type of cataract surgery — the rapidly vibrating tip of the ultrasound probe emulsifies and helps break up the cataract, which your surgeon then suctions out top. An outer housing of the cataract the lens capsule is generally left in place. After removing the emulsified material, your surgeon inserts the lens implant into the empty space within the capsule where the natural lens used to be bottom.

First, your doctor will place eyedrops in your eye to dilate your pupil. You'll receive local anesthetics to numb the area, and you may be given a sedative to help you relax. If you're given a sedative, you may remain awake, but groggy, during surgery. During cataract surgery, the clouded lens is removed, and a clear artificial lens is usually implanted.

In some cases, however, a cataract may be removed without implanting an artificial lens. Using an ultrasound probe to break up the lens for removal. During a procedure called phacoemulsification fak-o-e-mul-sih-fih-KAY-shun , your surgeon makes a tiny incision in the front of your eye cornea and inserts a needle-thin probe into the lens substance where the cataract has formed.

Your surgeon then uses the probe, which transmits ultrasound waves, to break up emulsify the cataract and suction out the fragments. The very back of your lens the lens capsule is left intact to serve as a place for the artificial lens to rest. Stitches may be used to close the tiny incision in your cornea at the completion of the procedure.

Making an incision in the eye and removing the lens in one piece. A less frequently used procedure called extracapsular cataract extraction requires a larger incision than that used for phacoemulsification. Through this larger incision your surgeon uses surgical tools to remove the front capsule of the lens and the cloudy lens comprising the cataract.

The very back capsule of your lens is left in place to serve as a place for the artificial lens to rest. This procedure may be performed if you have certain eye complications. With the larger incision, stitches are required. Once the cataract has been removed by either phacoemulsification or extracapsular extraction, the artificial lens is implanted into the empty lens capsule. After cataract surgery, expect your vision to begin improving within a few days. Your vision may be blurry at first as your eye heals and adjusts.