Today's most common operation excises the cataract but leaves the thin transparent capsule of the lens. Children have very soft lenses, which can be aspirated without previous ultravibration. The cornea is then sutured together. These techniques are increasingly available on an out-patientbasis, but some physicians prefer to monitor their patients overnight or longer. A lengthy hospital stay is no longer necessary, except in unusual cases.
Many patients return to normal activities soon after leaving the hospital.
When cataracts appear in both eyes and grow at different rates, the most severely affected eye is usually operated on first. Several months may pass to ensure complete healing without infection before the second cataract is removed. Previously, glasses thick as bottle bottoms were worn to compensate for altered vision. When used on one eye, these glasses make it difficult for the brain to reconcile the magnified and unmagnified images. After cataract surgery, most people prefer a lens that fits on or in the eyeball.