What Treatment Is Available For Cataract?
Early cataract is managed conservatively, and patients are usually prescribed glasses to aid their vision. When cataract affects one’s vision significantly, or in some individuals who may have other eye problems, cataract is managed by the surgical removal of the lens (cataract extraction surgery).
When Do I Have To Remove My Cataract(s)?
Cataract surgery is recommended when visual impairment affects activities of daily living (dressing, navigating, cooking, showering, etc., or when patients have challenges with their vision as the cataract becomes more severe. There is no absolute cut-off age for cataract surgery.
What Happens If I Leave My Cataract(s) Untreated?
Cataract(s) cause progressive loss of vision and eventually reversible blindness if left untreated. In uncommon circumstances, it may lead to acute angle closure.
What Are The Different Types Of Cataract Surgery?
The most common form of cataract surgery is phacoemulsification. The procedure takes about 20-minutes and can be performed under local anesthesia as a day surgery.
Patients with more advanced cataract may undergo a more traditional surgery known as extracapsular cataract extraction (ECCE). This surgery is about half an hour long and requires a larger incision. Visual rehabilitation will take longer and sutures may need to be removed about one to two months after surgery.
Cataract surgery involves removing your existing lens and replacing it with an intraocular lens with
refractive power correction. Typically, a monofocal lens which corrects vision for distance only is used.
What Are Some Important Pre-operative Information Required?
- You MUST inform your surgeon if you had laser refractive surgery performed (e.g. LASIK, PRK, epi-LASIK, SMILE) previously. Please bring along records of your previous treatment. This information is very important in ensuring accurate IOL calculation.
- You will need to stop wearing contact lens (at least one week for soft lens and at least two weeks for hard lens) prior to undergoing IOL calculation for surgical planning.
What Happens After Cataract Surgery?
Cataract surgery is done as a day surgery procedure. Patients are usually discharged home on the same day, a few hours after surgery. They would be started on an eye drop and reviewed in the clinic one day, one week, and one month after the operation. Patients who undergo ECCE may require suture removal one to two months after the surgery.
After the operation, patients are given an eye shield to be used when sleeping. Patients are advised not to rub their eyes and to keep their operated eye clean and dry.