A cataract is a clouding of the lens of your eye which may cause your vision to be blurry or misty. They appear as opaque, cloudy patches on your eye.

Having cataract is a common problem insomuch there are over 40 million cataract surgeries a year, worldwide.

But what are the tell-tale signs of cataracts?

• Double vision
• You see colors faded, or have a yellowish hue to your sight
• You are not able to see well in very bright light
• You have dim vision
• Your glasses are getting less effective (if you’re wearing any)

If you experience any of these symptoms it’s important to consult with an ophthalmologist so they could examine you and address the issues if needed.

They don’t. They remove the affected lens completely, by breaking it into small pieces with a help of an ultrasound.

Then, they can insert a new, artificial lens which does exactly the same as your original lens. Sometimes even more. This is called IOL or intraocular lens.

Before you undergo the surgery, your doctor will precisely examine your vision, the anatomy of your eye and measure the size of the lens you’ll need.

So the aim of the surgery is to restore your vision to the pre-cataract state -by removing the opaque, inadequate lens and replacing it with an artificial one-.

However a secondary purpose is to correct your vision, if you had troubles prior surgery. If you wore glasses, either you were short-sighted or farsighted, your doctor can choose a multifocal lens implant for you where you can lose your glasses and improve your vision.

There are monofocal, multifocal and toric implant lenses, all serving a different purpose:
Refractive errors, short and farsightedness can be corrected with these lenses meaning you can hope a tremendous improvement in your vision after treatment.

A full recovery is expected some 4 weeks after surgery. This is the time when new glasses can be prescribed to you (if necessary).

To read more about cataract removal surgeries click here.