Cataract

What is Cataract?
Normally, the lens of the eye is clear and allows light rays to pass through easily.When a cataract develops, the lens becomes cloudy and opaque. The light rays no longer pass through the lens easily, so the patient cannot see clearly.
Cataract is not a new growth or a film over the eye. In most cases, it is just part of the aging process. It is not contagious

Types Of Cataract
There are many types of cataracts.
A change in the chemical composition of the lens causes most cataracts. The following are the various types of cataracts.

Senile Cataract

This is the most common type of cataract, comprising 80 percent of the total cataracts. It occurs in patients above the age of 50.

Congenital Cataract
Cataracts in children are rare. They can be caused by infection of the mother during pregnancy, or they may be hereditary.

Traumatic Cataract
Eye injuries may cause cataracts in patients of any age.

Secondary Cataract
Eye diseases, like glaucoma, iritis, eye tumours, and diabetes may cause cataracts.

Drug-induced Cataract
Prolonged treatment with steroid drugs, either for local (e.g., allergic conjunctivitis) or systemic diseases (e.g., asthma) may lead to cataract formation.

Symptoms of Cataract
Cataract formation is not associated with "signals" such as pain, redness or tearing.

Treatment
Cataract cannot be cured by medicines or spectacles. Removal of the clouded lens through surgery is the only treatment.

Types of Cataract Removal:
Routine method (old method)
After administering a local anaesthesia, a 10 mm incision is made in the eye. The cataract lens is removed and it may be replaced by an Aphakic glass. The incision is then closed with sutures. After the surgery, glasses with high power called ophakic spectacles are prescribed to the operated person.
Disadvantages:
These ophakic glasses are heavy, images seen are larger than they normally appear to be, and the field of vision is restricted.

What is IOL?
Intra Ocular lens (IOL) is a tiny transparent convex lens. It is made of polymethyl methacrylate , (a harmless plastic substance).
Unlike contact lens, an IOL stays permanently in the eye and does not cause irritation.

Advantages of IOL:
Since the lens is placed inside the eye, most often the patient need not wear glasses for clear vision. But sometimes patient has to wear glasses for clarity.
Images are clear and of the same dimension without distortion
Full vision returns very clearly
Normal field of vision
New method with implanting of Intraocular lens (IOL) with sutures:
After administering a local anaesthesia, a 10 mm incision is made in the eye. The clouded lens is removed and replaced by an IOL and the incision is then closed with sutures. The entire procedure takes only 15 minutes.

Phaco or sutureless surgery with implantation of IOL
After giving a local anaesthesia, a 5mm incision is made in the eye. The cataract lens is broken into small pieces by a machine with ultrasonic waves and removed with a needle. A specially prepared IOL is inserted into the eye and the wound heals without sutures.

Advantages of Phaco
Early surgery can be done, so that patient need not wait for the cataract to mature
Small Incision
No sutures and no need of suture removal.
No irritation, no watering
Early return to work
No need to continue drops for a long time
No need for hospital stay, Even if the patient stays, it is only for a short time
Only one post-operative visit
Stable refraction after one month
The ophthalmic surgeon decides whether the patient can undergo phaco or not.