Eye Surgery Choices That Can Fix Cataracts

Cataracts are one of the most prevalent vision issues from which elderly people suffer. Cataracts refer to cloudy spots that occur on the lens of an individual's eye. The lens is supposed to be completely transparent in order to allow for clear vision. Cataracts, however, cause certain parts of the lens to be translucent or completely opaque. The more opaque an individual's lens is, the less clearly he or she will be able to see. If you don't see a doctor about your cataracts, they can become increasingly worse, ultimately obscuring almost one-hundred percent of your vision. Thankfully, though, many eye surgeries can effectively eliminate cataracts.

1. Phacoemulsification is one of the most prevalent eye surgeries used to correct cataracts. This sort of cataract surgery procedure is most effective for those patients whose cataracts are not severe. Phacoemulsification is a fairly short eye surgery; typically, the procedure takes a maximum of thirty minutes.

For this treatment, the patient will have his or her eyes numbed with specialized eye drops and will be placed under light sedation, often via the administration of nitrous oxide. This is an extremely up-to-date style of eye surgery. After experiencing phacoemulsification, cataract sufferers do not have to have stitches or an eye patch. However, people are typically asked to don dark glasses for a particular period of time after undergoing this type of eye surgery.

2. A different sort of eye surgery that can be performed to eliminate cataracts is called extracapsular surgery. Generally, this sort of eye surgery is performed on people whose cataracts are advanced. During this procedure, the surgeon has to remove every affected area of the lens at one time. A fairly significant incision is required within the eye and the patient must receive both topical numbing agents and numbing eye drops.

This form of eye surgery requires the cataract patient's natural lens to be removed and a man-made one to be put in its place. The large incision will be closed using sutures and the individual will need to wear an eye patch once his or her surgery is completed. Individuals have to wear the eye patch for different periods of time depending upon how quickly they heal. You should give serious thought to having extracapsular presbyopia surgery due to the fact that it is an invasive procedure.

The two types of eye surgeries outlined above are the most common procedures used to correct cataracts. Before undergoing any type of cataract eye surgery, it is important to have a thorough consultation with your doctor. This will help you understand precisely what will occur during your eye surgery and during your recovery period.