Cataracts can take from a few months to several years to develop. Sometimes, the cataract stops developing in its early stages, and vision is only slightly decreased. But if it continues to develop, vision is impaired, and treatment is necessary. Surgery to remove the diseased lens is the only effective treatment for cataract. Neither diet nor medications have not been shown to stop cataract formation.
Cataract surgery is now a frequently performed operation in most parts of the world.
More than one million cataract procedures are performed every year, and in the majority of those cases, the diseased tissue is replaced with an artificial device known as an intraocular lens implant. In a cataract operation, the eye's natural lens is removed. Therefore, a new lens must replace the removed one for vision to be restored. This new lens can be in the form of special eyeglasses with thick lenses or contact lenses. Most commonly, it is in the form of an intraocular lens implant, which permanently replaces the old lens.