What does cataract surgery entail?

Modern cataract surgery is one of the safest and most successful forms of surgery. The steps of surgery are

• A micro incision of 1.8 to 2.5 mm is first made in the eyeball.
• A smooth round opening is then made in the front part of the lens capsule, which is a thin membrane enclosing the entire lens.
• All cloudy lens material within the lens capsule is then removed through the same incision by the procedure of phacoemulsification using a thin titanium probe that emits high-speed ultrasound waves, vibrating at 40,000 times per second. This breaks the cataract into tiny pieces, which are then suctioned out of the eye through the same probe.
• A Foldable Intraocular Lens (IOL) is introduced through the small incision, and placed within the capsule of the lens where it unfolds and stays in place securely.

Micro incisions such as those used in phacoemulsification seal themselves immediately after surgery and heal very quickly and allow one to return to normal work and activities within a few days. This is currently the most effective method for removing cataracts.