When a cloudiness or opacity progresses, light cannot get through, hampering vision. Approximately 13 million Americans age 40 and older have developed age-related cataracts. In the early stages, a change in eyeglass prescriptions can help many people to see better and function comfortably. However, once vision becomes so limited that it is difficult to perform daily activities, such as driving, reading or shopping, cataract surgery may be required. It is up to the patient and his or her ophthalmologist to decide when the time is right.
Cataract surgery is one of the safest and most successful surgical procedures.
An ophthalmologist usually performs the surgery under local anesthesia as an outpatient procedure. The cloudy lens is removed through a small incision and replaced with a permanent plastic lens implant. The ophthalmologist performs this delicate surgery using a microscope, miniature instruments and other updated technology. More than one million people have this surgery annually. Of those, over 95 percent experience improved vision.