Cataracts

Cataracts are clouding of the natural lens of the eye

The lens itself is designed to focus light onto the back of the eye. Over time the lens hardens and allows less light to fall to the back of the eye.

Cataracts occur at a gradual rate and mild cataracts do not require surgery, unless you are symptomatic with them. An optician can improve your vision if the cataract is mild.

Symptoms for cataracts however can manifest even if early and can include the following: blurring of vision, double vision, difficulty seeing at night and sensitivity to light.

The only way to treat a cataract is with surgery. Cataract surgery is the most commonly performed procedure in the UK and has a very high safety profile, with success rates of over 97-98%.

The procedure itself is done as a day operation and patients do not need to stay in hospital. It takes 20-30 minutes to do and can be done either with anaesthetic drops or with an injection of local anaesthesia around the eye.

Once your natural lens is removed it is replaced with an artificial one.
Some patients prefer to have the operation done fully asleep or with sedation in which case an anaesthetic doctor would administer the anaesthetic.

Sometimes cataracts can be removed as part of the treatment for glaucoma, particularly, angle closure glaucoma. In this situation, the cataract is removed to allow the natural drainage system of the eye to open up further.

In other forms of glaucoma the cataract operation can be done along with other procedures to further lower the eye pressure such as iStents and canaloplasty.

Please see the section on MIGS

The video shows an animation of cataract surgery.

If you would like to know more about cataract surgery or would like to book a consultation then please click on this link.

Laser capsulotomy

In some patients the layer behind the new artificial lens can thicken over time.
This allows less light into the back of the eye and causes blurring or haziness.

Though it isn’t possible to prevent this thickening from occurring, it is safe to treat and patients notice a marked improvement in their vision very quickly once it has been treated. As the treatment is permanent this thickening will not occur again.

Some patients may notice “floaters” in their vision but this usually lasts only for a few days. Serious complications such as retinal detachment are uncommon.

The procedure itself is done in an outpatient setting with just use the use of topical anaesthetic drops and take approximately 5-10 minutes to do.