Cataract and Lens Implants

Nonsurgical cataract treatment

There is no proven medication that can prevent a cataract from forming or cause a cataract to clear. When a cataract is mild and the blurring is not great, a change of glasses may be helpful. For some unusual cataracts, eye drops that increase the size of the pupil may be helpful. When a cataract is bad enough that new glasses and dilating the pupil do not help, surgery to restore vision can be done.

The surgery for cataract consists of removing the cloudy natural lens (the cataract) from the eye. In almost all cases, the cloudy lens will be replaced with a clear plastic lens which is called a lens implant or Intraocular Lens (IOL).

At the end of the eye examination, the doctor will explain and discuss the findings of the examination with you.

Cataract surgery is rarely necessary on an urgent basis and can be left until you feel it is needed. This would depend on the your visual needs based on your occupation and lifestyle.

Cataract surgery is recommended if you feel that the cataract is interfering with your work or daily activities. For some people, even a slight loss of vision is unacceptable. They like to see, read or drive and consequently they may decide on early cataract removal. Others may choose not to have surgery because the cataract does not seriously interfere with their daily lives.

In short, it is largely up to you to decide if you will benefit from surgery.

With modern methods of surgery, cataracts no longer need to reach full maturity in order to be removed. In some instances, your doctor may advise surgery. If the cataract is fully mature or if the cataract is creating (or is likely to create) other serious complications inside the eye, it will require surgery. Sometimes a cataract can block the doctor’s view of the retina and even prevent effective diagnosis and treatment of serious retinal diseases. In these situations a Cataract surgery is recommended so that the retinal disorder can be treated effectively.

How safe is Cataract Surgery  |  Intraocular Lens  |  Patient Care