There are 4 major types of cataract surgery. They are:
Phacoemulsification: This is the most common procedure of surgery. It takes less than half an hour, with a minimal amount of sedation. In this procedure, a small incision is made around the edge of the cornea which creates an opening through the membrane that surrounds the lens. A small ultrasonic probe is inserted into this opening to break up the lens into small fragments using sound waves, these sound waves act as a jackhammer. The probe tip contains an attachment which is then used for suction of the broken fragments. An intraocular lens implant is then placed in the lens capsule in the eye by using a hollow tube through the corneal incision.
Extracapsular Cataract Surgery: This surgery is used in the case of highly advanced cataracts that are too dense for phacoemulsification. In this procedure, a bigger incision is made to remove the cataract in one piece as opposed to removing the fragments. After the removal of the cataract, the intraocular lens is placed in the same capsule. It is followed by a number of sutures to seal the wound and an eye patch is often recommended.
Intracapsular Cataract Surgery: This surgery requires an even bigger incision as compared to the other two surgeries in which the entire lens along with the surrounding capsule is removed. The intraocular lens is then placed in front of the iris.
Laser Cataract Surgery: It is also known as Refractive Laser-Assisted Cataract Surgery. It is an advanced type of surgery that uses femtosecond laser technology which brings a new level of precision and accuracy to the surgery. The first step is a corneal incision, followed by anterior capsulotomy in which the front part of the capsule is removed to give direct access to the cloudy lens to the surgeon. The laser then softens the lens as it breaks it into fragments. The intraocular lens is then placed in position.