Cataract: When Should You Have Surgery?

Cataract: What is it?

A cataract is a clouding of the eye's lens. This clouding is due to the oxidation of the proteins that make up the lens. A cataract occurs when, following trauma, aging, sun exposure, or metabolic diseases, the lens loses its transparency, leading to a significant reduction in visual capacity.

Cataracts are a serious condition that, if left untreated, can lead to permanent blindness.  

What are the symptoms of a cataract?

Signs not to ignore

A cataract generally manifests as a general visual disturbance, which is more pronounced the more extensive and intense the clouding of the lens is. When only part of the lens is clouded, the symptoms are so diluted over time that they are barely noticeable by patients. As lens clouding often occurs slowly, people with cataracts become accustomed to a gradual blurring of vision and only discover their condition at an advanced stage. In some cases, however, lens clouding occurs rapidly and symptoms appear at an early stage of the disease.

Common Symptoms

In addition to blurry vision, other symptoms may appear in the case of a cataract:

• Temporary or permanent visual disturbances;
• Presence of bright halos around lights;
• Difficulty distinguishing colors;
• Slow adaptation to darkness;
• Eye strain when reading;
• Burning and eye fatigue;
• Slight double vision;

Very rarely, cataracts can increase intraocular pressure and cause pain. If the cataract is in the center of the lens, the most common symptoms are:

• Worsening of distance vision;
• Initial improvement in near vision as the cataract acts like a stronger lens, refocusing light;

People who needed reading glasses from around age 45 find they can see up close again without glasses. This is a temporary effect that disappears as the cataract becomes more opaque.

If the cataract is near the bottom of the lens, the most common symptoms are:

• Blurry vision when the pupil constricts (e.g., in bright light or when reading);
• Loss of contrast;
• Halos and glare from bright lights or car headlights when driving at night;

Individuals taking medications that constrict the pupil, such as some glaucoma eye drops, may experience significant visual deficits.

FREE QUOTE

Would you like more information?

When and how to treat a cataract?

Treatment options for cataracts

Cataracts cannot be cured. The only possible solution is surgery to remove the deteriorated lens and replace it with an artificial lens when vision becomes irremediably blurry and compromises daily activities. To this end, several advanced techniques are now available, including:

• Phacoemulsification: This involves breaking up the worn lens using ultrasound and aspirating the fragments with a probe. Then, the artificial lens is implanted. This new lens may be able to correct pre-existing visual defects such as myopia or presbyopia, or both (multifocal lens);
• Femtolaser: This is the newest and most advanced technique, allowing for greater precision than the previous one: It is performed by making micro-incisions in the cornea and on the sides of the capsule inside which the lens is located, and a large part of the operation is performed remotely by computer;

Both types of surgery are comfortable: there is no blood loss, no stitches are used, and vision is recovered very quickly.

Cataract removal and lens replacement are performed on an outpatient or at-home basis and do not require hospitalization. The techniques used do not require general anesthesia (except for children). Cataract surgery is almost always performed under local anesthesia (by injection or eye drops) to numb the ocular surface, and the patient also receives a sedative.

Microsurgery to treat cataracts

The most commonly used microsurgical technique involves using a probe less than 1 mm in diameter that, vibrating at ultrasonic frequencies, allows for the disintegration of opaque crystalline fibers and their subsequent aspiration. The femtolaser technique does not involve the use of a scalpel and consists of emitting very short and very high-frequency laser pulses that generate micro-fractures in the eye through which it is possible to reach and break up the lens. When phacoemulsification is not possible, doctors can remove the lens without using ultrasound.

At the end of the procedure, which lasts between 10 and 20 minutes, a new lens is placed in place of the one that has been removed, the size of which is decided by the ophthalmologist according to the patient's refractive errors. In general, no stitches are needed, as the incision in the eye is small and closes by itself.

When the placement of artificial lenses is not possible, the patient must wear contact lenses or thick glasses after cataract removal.

Preventing Cataracts

Factors that can promote the development of cataracts include:

• Smoking, which is linked to the early onset of cataracts and their rapid progression;
• Hyperglycemia and diabetes mellitus;
• Ultraviolet radiation from the sun;

There are several measures to prevent cataracts, including:

• Always wear eyeglasses or sunglasses with ultraviolet (UV) protection;
• Avoid smoking;
• Reduce alcohol consumption;
• If you are diabetic, keep your blood sugar under control;
• Adopt a diet rich in vitamin C, vitamin A, and substances called carotenoids (found in dark leafy green vegetables);

People taking corticosteroids for prolonged periods can discuss with their doctor the possibility of using another medication.

[dt_sc_button title="Free Quote" size="medium" style="bordered" icon_type="" link="url:https%3A%2F%2F127.0.0.1/tds%2Fdevis%2F" textcolor="#ffffff" bgcolor="#0c73ba"]