Currently there is no medical treatment to reverse or prevent the development of cataracts. Once they form, there is only one way to achieve clear vision again, and that is to physically remove the cataract from the eye. Today,the removal of the cataract is accompanied by the implantation of an artificial intraocular lens, the IOL, and is also frequently accompanied by the surgical correction of pre-existing astigmatism by changing the shape of the cornea during the cataract procedure. In your parents' day or grandparents' day, cataract surgery was considered risky, requiring a lengthy hospital stay, and was usually postponed for as long as possible. Today, cataract surgery is performed on an out-patient basis and takes only a few minutes.
Patients can then go home and rest in comfort and avoid the expense of staying in a hospital.
Your cataract will be removed with an advanced technique called phacoemulsification, or small-incision cataract surgery. The cataract is then fragmented into microscopic particles using high energy sound waves and gently suctioned from the eye. Topical anesthesia and self-sealing incisions have taken cataract surgery to the next level. Many patients are able to see with clear vision much sooner after surgery. In most cases it is now possible to return to daily activities such as driving and reading almost immediately.