What is a Cataract?
A cataract is a cloudy lens. The human lens adds power to the eye allowing the vision to be clear. The human lens also accommodates, adding power when looking at near. Cataract surgery has evolved to become a highly sophisticated microsurgical procedure allowing quick recovery and excellent visual results. Cataract surgery involves the use of an ultrasonic machine to remove the lens and a new plastic lens is replaced to compensate for the change in refractive power. Cataract surgery allows the surgeon to customise the vision by choosing an intraocular lens that is suitable to the patient for their visual needs.
There are varied intraocular lenses and the design has progressed through the ages, now allowing the surgeon to customise treatment according to distance, intermediate and near visual functions. The modern day intraocular lens can often perform multiple functions and detailed pre-operative tests as well as the patient’s requirements will often determine what lens will be used. The lenses used include premium torics which are customised lenses used to correct astigmatism, multifocal intraocular lenses which correct distance and near functions and monovision monofocal lenses which share the visual needs amongst two eyes, with one for distance and the other correcting for near.