History of Cataract Surgery

Not so very long ago, cataract surgery was a procedure to be dreaded. There was a high rate of failure and the surgery was long and laborious. Not any more. Modern techniques, particularly in the field of laser eye surgery, mean that cataract surgery has now become one of the safest surgical procedures of all.

Cataract surgery has always involved cutting the eye open and removing the lens in order to remove the cloudy part. The lens capsule is not removed because this will be used later to house the artificial lens, or intraocular lens. The new version of this technique is called phacoemulsification. It uses a much smaller incision in the first place (3mm instead of 12mm) and this is made possible with the use of ultrasound or laser probe.

When to Arrange Cataract Surgery

The eye is sewn back together with a series of tiny sutures after cataract surgery. It is important that these sutures are both tight and accurate to prevent the possibility of astigmatism developing. Phaco, as it is called, has meant that cataract surgery can now be carried out in confidence without the danger of damaging the whole eye.

This means that literally millions of aging people around the world, who once would have had to resign themselves to life without sight, can now look forward to the restoration of their sight after a short and safe procedure. This new type of cataract surgery has a much greater chance of complete success if the surgery is carried out fairly early on before the cataract has a chance to progress too much. So make sure that if you need cataract surgery you take the necessary steps as soon as possible.