Cataracts
Cataracts are clouding of the crystalline lens.
The crystalline lens is a converging lens located behind the iris. It has a diameter of around 1 cm and a thickness of 0.5 cm.
Cataracts most often occur with age, from 60 onwards; other causes are possible, mainly diabetes, severe myopia or trauma.
Symptoms
Cataracts are responsible for a progressive decline in vision, altered color perception and glare.
Treatment
Cataracts are treated surgically. The painless, standardized procedure consists in removing the crystalline lens, while preserving its envelope into which an implant is inserted.
This synthetic implant is very well tolerated, and its power is calculated before the operation on the basis of the eye’s characteristics. The aim is to achieve good distance vision. It will therefore generally be necessary to wear glasses for reading, but this is not always the case, as there are specific implants for this purpose.
Anesthesia is usually local, via instillation of eye drops. Injections around the eye or a general anaesthetic are sometimes indicated.
A surgical technique known as phacoemulsification breaks up and aspirates the crystalline lens from inside the eye through a micro-incision of around 2.2 mm. An ultrasound probe is used for this. This micro incision is self-sealing and does not require stitches.
The procedure generally takes less than 20 minutes, and is most often performed on an outpatient or short-stay basis.
Evolution
Visual acuity improves in the first few days after surgery, and stabilizes within 2 to 3 weeks.
Post-operative eye drops are prescribed for around 1 month. No bandage is required, just a protective shell for the first 3 nights.
If you notice any redness, pain or loss of vision, contact your surgeon or ophthalmologist.
After a few years, an opacification of the envelope behind the implant, known as a secondary cataract, may develop. This causes visual discomfort, and is easily treated with a Yag laser during a simple consultation.