Eye Disease and Treatment

Cataract is a condition where the natural lens (just like a lens in any camera) slowly becomes opaque. This is a natural aging phenomenon seen in most adults after the age of 60. Rarely it can occur in children or young adults as a result of some other conditions in the body or in the eye.

A cataract starts out small, and at first, has little effect on your vision. You may notice that your vision has blurred a little, as if you are looking through a cloudy piece of glass or viewing an impressionist painting.

The lens inside the eye works much like a camera lens, which focuses light onto the retina for clear vision. It also adjusts the eye’s focus, letting us see things clearly both up close and far away. The lens is mostly made of water and protein. The protein is arranged in a precise way that keeps the lens clear and allows light to pass through it. However, as we age, some of the protein is likely to clump together and start to cloud a small area of the lens. This is a cataract, and over time, it may grow larger and cloud more of the lens, which makes it difficult for us to see properly. No one knows for sure why the lens of the eye changes as we age, thereby forming cataracts. Researchers across the world have identified factors that are likely to cause cataracts or are associated with the development of the same. Besides advancing age, the risk factors associated with cataract include:

One popular theory about cataract formation is, that many cataracts are caused by oxidative changes in the human lens. This theory is supported by nutrition studies, which indicate that the consumption of fruits and vegetables, which are said to be high in antioxidants, is likely to help prevent certain types of cataracts.

When symptoms begin to appear, one is likely to be able to improve one’s vision for a while by using new glasses, strong bifocals, magnification, having appropriate lighting and other visual aids.

Surgery is the only treatment option for cataract. The urgency for surgery is decided by the visual needs of an individual. With the modern surgical techniques available today, you don’t need to wait for the cataract to mature fully. You can go in for surgery when the cataract has progressed enough to impair your vision and has started affecting your daily life.

For example, a young working professional may wish to undergo surgery with even with mild vision loss. However, an old, retired person may want to wait longer until his eyesight is reduced significantly. Generally, the trend now a days is not to wait until the cataract matures. Technically the surgery may be difficult in a mature cataract.

In short, you can go in for surgery when the cataract has progressed enough to start affecting your daily life. Many people consider poor vision due to cataract as an inevitable process of aging, however, cataract surgery is a simple and relatively painless procedure.

Modern cataract surgery is a stitch less surgery and the patient can go home the same day in most cases. The natural opaque lens is removed with a ultrasonic phacoemulsification machine and an artificial foldable intraocular lens (IOL) is implanted inside the eye. This IOL enables the patient to see clearly. There are many different types of lenses some of which provide freedom from spectacles to the patients. We offer most modern cataract surgical procedures with all types of lenses.

Cataract surgery, is now a short and painless procedure, during which the surgeon will remove the clouded lens and replace it with a clear artificial Intra Ocular Lens (IOL) that has the appropriate power. Cataract surgery is not just the removal of the cataract, but also the correction of the refractive error for distant and near vision. It also provides the option of freedom from spectacles after surgery. New IOLs are being developed constantly to enable the surgery to be less complicated for surgeons, and for the lenses to be more useful for patients. Presbyopia-correcting (Multifocal) IOLs potentially enable patients to see at varying distances, and not just one distance. Another new type of IOL blocks ultraviolet as well as blue light rays, which, according to research, are likely to cause damage to the retina.

Cataract surgery can be done under anaesthetic drops (no injection). However, some patients may require anaesthetic injection near the eye. The patient does not experience discomfort and is advised to lie still for the entire duration of the eye surgery. The cataract is removed through a very small incision using a phacoemulsification instrument that breaks up the cataract using ultrasonic waves. The cataract is then sucked out of the eye. The cataractous lens is then replaced by a suitable artificial, foldable lens that is injected through a small incision. The surgery is performed in a sterile operating theatre using complete aseptic precautions. The surgery can be performed within 20-30 minutes.