At present, there is no way to eliminate a cataract other than surgically removing it. Virtually everyone undergoing cataract surgery will have a plastic lens implant placed in the eye to replace the eye's natural lens. This lens implant will take over the focusing function of the eye's original lens.

The great majority of cataracts are the result of aging, which causes chemical changes in the natural lens of the eye and interferes with its clarity. However, the age at which a cataract affects someone's vision varies dramatically, from as early as the fifties to as late as the eighties or beyond.

Many people with cataracts, in fact, can see quite well, and are not in need of cataract surgery. It is only when the cataract impairs vision to the extent that activities like reading or driving become difficult that surgery may be necessary.

Cataract surgery is almost always an outpatient procedure, done under local anesthesia. Techniques vary widely, but the eye is always numbed completely with an anesthetic, and often a mild sedative is given to make the person undergoing surgery somewhat drowsy.

There are three types of lenses currently available. Prior to surgery you will need to decide which of these lens types you want used:

Monofocal: These lenses have one point of focus and can usually give you clear distance vision. While distance vision is improved, most patients still need to wear glasses for certain tasks, such as reading or working at a computer.

Multifocal: These lenses give you a full range of clear vision, near to far, and everywhere in between.

Astigmatism-correcting or Toric: These lenses are for patients with existing corneal astigmatism. Similar to monofocal lenses, theses usually give patients quality distance vision with less dependence on glasses. Most patients will still need to wear glasses for tasks such as reading or working at a computer.

Cataract surgery is performed under a microscope to provide a magnified view of the eye. A small incision is made in the eye, and the front surface of the cataract is opened to allow access to the clouded tissue inside. The cloudy portion is then removed, leaving the thin clear back surface of the lens in place.

This can be done either with a mechanical device called a phacoemulsifier or manually with extracapsular instruments. The lens implant is then placed in the shell of the natural lens, and the incision is closed.

Patients return home after surgery, and are usually examined the following day. Eyedrops are used to accelerate the healing process and prevent infection, and patients are instructed to avoid any activity that could harm the eye while recovering from surgery.

Vision almost always improves greatly within 4-6 weeks, although many patients may see better within 1-2 weeks or less. You may need a new glasses prescription after surgery, although it may be needed only for distance or for reading, depending on the type of lens you choose.