The optical system of the human eye functions somewhat similar to a telescope - it has 2 major elements -The cornea(the transparent front part of the eye) and the Crystalline lens. The Crystalline Lens can lose it transparency - either due to age ( most commonly) or other causes like medication , injury or other diseases like diabetes..
When the Crystalline Lens loses its transparently and starts obstructing light entering the eye - it is called a cataract.
Image of an eye with a total cataract
So I have a cataract---- What are my options?
Early changes may just cause changes in the spectacle prescription and just changing your glasses may be adequate.
However , progression of the cataract will inevitably cause further deterioration in vision and when glasses are unable to provide sufficient clarity of vision, surgery is advised.
Effects of Cataract on Vision
Clear vision in an eye without cataract
Blurred vision due to cataract. This the most common complaint in patients with a cataract.
Loss of contrast in patients with cataract - Images don't look 'crisp' anymore.
Glare in patients with cataract - This is seen in early cataract and can make night driving especially difficult
When should I get operated ? My neighbor says that you should wait for the cataract to become 'ripe ' before operating.
Once upon a time ,long long ago, cataract surgery involved removal of the entire crystalline lens through a very large incision. No intraocular lens was implanted then . The recovery period was prolonged ( months) and at the end of the recovery period ,patients needed thick glasses to see clearly.
This was the reason in that era ,cataract surgery was postponed till the patient could not see anything in the affected eye - 'till the cataract ripened'.
Cut to the present day…….. Cataract surgery is today one of the most high tech surgeries performed on the human body.
High quality operating microscopes give the surgeons superb visibility and magnification during surgery which drastically reduces surgical trauma to one of the most delicate , fragile and complex organs in the human body. Surgical instrumentation has undergone dramatic improvement in the last few decades. We are now able to perform the the surgery through an incision smaller than 3mm. All these developments have lead to dramatic improvements in recovery times allowing patients to resume even complex activities like driving in a weeks time.
At Siddhi Eyecare Centre, we use the latest Leica M220 microscope and the Intutive Micro Incision Cold Phaco System ( Johnson and Johnson) to give you a safe , Predictable and comfortable surgical experience.
What is this 'Lens ' I keep hearing about ?
Modern cataract surgery is actually a 2 step process.The first involves removal of the hazy part of the crystalline lens using high frequency ultrasound and suction.The second part involves placing an artificial lens into the eye and positioning it into the place of the natural lens which was removed in step 1.
Intraocular lenses ( IOL's) have completely revolutionized the way we look at cataract surgery.It has gone from a \ surgery performed to correct visual loss to one that can be used to tailor your vision to your lifestyle needs. The quality of vision after cataract surgery mainly depends on the quality of surgery performed by the surgeon. The IOL provides additional benefits like clarity and reduced dependence on spectacles, astigmatic neutralisation and multifocality. ( Please read our blog on Intra Ocular Lenses to know more)
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