Cataracts are a clouding of the eye’s natural lens, leading to decreased vision

A cataract makes the clear lens of your eye cloudy, blocking light from reaching the back of the eye. As we get older, the proteins in our eye lens can stick together and create these cloudy spots.

People with bad cataracts might say it’s like looking through a waterfall or wax paper. This can make it hard to do things like drive at night, read small print, sew, or watch TV.

Some things that can make you more likely to get cataracts include:

• Ageing
• Eye trauma
• Diabetes Mellitus
• Certain medications, including long-term use of oral steroids
• Ultraviolet radiation
• Smoking
• Glaucoma
• Certain metabolic conditions

Advantages

• Over 90% of patients achieve excellent (20/25 or better) distance vision without glasses.
• Premium cataract surgery is very successful, with very high patient satisfaction and extremely low complication rates.
• The procedure typically takes less than half an hour and does not require an overnight stay.
• Vision is usually improved the day after surgery.
• Recovery is typically short and uneventful.
• The lens implants are permanent and ordinarily do not need to be replaced.
• We address everyone's astigmatism during premium cataract surgery.

Disadvantages

• Compared to traditional cataract surgery, the adaptation period is longer after surgery and it may take more time for your vision to stabilise.

• Phacoemulsification cataract surgery is a highly common procedure with an excellent safety profile and outcomes.
• Our expert team will discuss the individual risks and benefits with you during your consultation.

• Standard phacoemulsification cataract surgery is the most common method of cataract removal where a small incision (2.2-2.8mm) is made in the cornea and a probe is inserted to emulsify the cataractous/clear crystalline lens.
• This is a day case procedure carried out under topical (drops) anesthesia and only sub tenon’s (injection around the eye) if the case is higher risk.
• The cataract is accessed through a 2.2mm incision made through the cornea using a pen-like phaco-probe.
• This probe vibrates at ultrasonic frequency. It softens (emulsifies) the cataract and breaks it into small manageable pieces which are then aspirated (vacuumed out) along fluid filled plastic tubing away from the eye.
• A foldable intraocular implant is inserted into the eye like a taco, and this opens up for ideal lens placement.
• This is a refractive opportunity to reduce your spectacle dependence or make you almost spectacle independent and achieve sharper focus by employing either blended mini-monovision or trifocals.

After cataract surgery, patients can usually go home within a few minutes. In the days that follow, there may be some discomfort within the first week. Visual recovery is experienced the next day and will continue to improve in the first week and thereafter. Full recovery can take up to 12 weeks.