Cataract surgery

Jean-Charles Bauchau

Ophthalmologist

Cataracts is a very common disease associated with the natural ageing of the eye. It is caused by the gradual clouding of the crystalline lens, the small lens inside the eye that enables the eye to focus. When the crystalline lens becomes cloudy, vision becomes blurred, as if through a dirty window. Colours appear dull, light can be more distracting, and driving at night becomes difficult.

Surgery is the only effective treatment for cataracts. It is the most common operation in the world, performed on millions of people every year. The operation is generally quick (15 to 30 minutes), painless and carried out by a specialist under local anaesthetic (anaesthetic drops).

The eye surgeon makes a tiny incision in the front of the eye to gain access to the lens. The lens is then fragmented using ultrasound (a technique known as phacoemulsification) and aspirated. Once the opaque crystalline lens has been removed, it is replaced by a transparent artificial lens, called an intraocular implant. This implant remains permanently in place.

The visual recovery is generally fairly rapid. After a few days, patients notice a significant improvement in their vision. A pair of glasses may still be necessary, particularly for close-up reading, but quality of life is significantly improved.

The risks of complications are rare thanks to technical progress and rigorous post-operative monitoring, but as with any surgery, they do exist (including infection and posterior capsule rupture). The benefits, however, are significant: clearer, sharper vision and restored colour.

A «secondary cataract» may occur a few months/years after the operation, for which laser treatment (capsulotomy) is required.

If glaucoma coexists in the operated eye, the use ofI-stents during the same operation is possible. These I-stents make it possible to reduce intraocular pressure and, sometimes, to reduce/stop the hypotensive drops.

To sum up, cataract surgery is a safe and effective procedure that enables patients to regain good vision and independence in their daily lives.