When this natural lens becomes opaque (ie loses transparency) it is known as cataract

Cataract surgery is advised when

• There is loss of vision.
• There is disturbing glare (difficulty in seeing in bright light) or haloes (seeing coloured rings around a light source).
• The cataract has become too hard, although vision is normal, which is a common situation
• Difficulty in treating other eye diseases, unless the cataract is removed.

Cataract surgery consists of two stages –

• Cataract removal – Consists of removing the cataract.
• Intraocular lens (IOL) implantation– Consists of placing the IOL inside the eye

At Verma Hospital, the following pre-operative investigations are advised

• Biometry – To determine the power of intraocular lens (IOL).
• Specular microscopy – To determine the health of the cornea.
• Syringing – To check the patency of the passage between the eye and nose.
• Corneal topography – To detect corneal aberrations if you are considering toric or multifocal IOLs.
• OCT (optical coherence tomography) – To detect retina abnormalities in patients with suspected retinal problems.
• USG – To detect structural (not functional) condition of retina in patients with very advanced cataracts.
• RAM – to predict the vision after surgery (not possible for very advanced cataracts).
• Blood pressure.
• ECG.
• Blood glucose (both fasting and post-prandial for diabetic patients).
• Physician clearance – For patients with other health issues (heart disease, breathing trouble, etc).

• 1. Phacoemulsification – Here, the cataract is removed, with the help of ultrasound energy. Before liquefying and sucking the cataract, the steps done manually are (i) entering inside the eye, (ii) opening the anterior capsule (the front layer of the covering of the natural lens), and (iii) breaking the cataract.
• 2. Small Incision