Related Media: Cataract Surgery
Cataract surgery is common in people over age 65. It is done to treat eyesight problems.
It may also be done when a cataract gets in the way of treating another eye problem like glaucoma.
It is often done without staying in the hospital overnight. Surgery often takes less than one hour. The cloudy lens will be removed and replaced with an artificial one.
There are two types of surgery:
A local anesthesia is used so that you do not feel any pain. It may be an injection below the eye or liquid medicine put in the eye during surgery. You may also be given a sedative to make you more at ease.
In most people, the removed lens is replaced by an intraocular lens (IOL). This is a clear or yellow-tinted artificial lens. It needs no special care and stays in the eye. Rarely, it cannot be used due to surgical problems, your eye anatomy, or other eye problems. Either a contact lens or eyeglasses with strong magnification are used after the surgery to help you see.
Cataract. American Optometric Association website. Available at: https://www.aoa.org/patients-and-public/eye-and-vision-problems/glossary-of-eye-and-vision-conditions/cataract?sso=y. Accessed February 13, 2019.
Cataracts in adults. EBSCO DynaMed Plus website. Available at:http://www.dynamed.com/topics/dmp~AN~T116240/Cataracts-in-adults. Updated November 28, 2016. Accessed May 10, 2017.
Facts about cataract. National Eye Institute website. Available at: https://nei.nih.gov/health/cataract/cataract_facts. Updated September 2015. Accessed February 13, 2019.
Informed consent: obtaining from patients undergoing surgery. EBSCO Nursing Reference Center website. Available at:http://www.ebscohost.com/nursing/products/nursing-reference-center. Updated September 14, 2018. Accessed February 13, 2019.
What are cataracts? American Academy of Ophthalmology website. Available at: https://www.aao.org/eye-health/diseases/what-are-cataracts. Updated November 9, 2018. Accessed February 13, 2019.
Last reviewed December 2018 by EBSCO Medical Review BoardJames P. Cornell, MD Last Updated: 2/13/2019
EBSCO Information Services is fully accredited by URAC. URAC is an independent, nonprofit health care accrediting organization dedicated to promoting health care quality through accreditation, certification and commendation.
This content is reviewed regularly and is updated when new and relevant evidence is made available. This information is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with questions regarding a medical condition.
To send comments or feedback to our Editorial Team regarding the content please email us at healthlibrarysupport@ebsco.com. Our Health Library Support team will respond to your email request within 2 business days.