Cataract

Cataract is one of the most common forms of treatable vision impairment in Australia. Cataract surgery is one of the wonders of modern medicine, and today, is one of the most commonly performed surgical procedures.

What is a cataract?

Cataract is one of the most common forms of treatable vision impairment in Australia. Cataract surgery is one of the wonders of modern medicine, and today, is one of the most commonly performed surgical procedures.

Why do we get cataracts?

The crystalline lens forms part of the focusing system of the eye and is located around 3mm behind the cornea, which is the clear part of the eye in contact with the outside environment. A cataract is quite simply when the crystalline lens which is normally clear, becomes cloudy. This degrades the quality of the vision, and in severe cases can lead to blindness.

What can be done about cataracts?

In the early stages of cataract, there may be only mild effects on the vision. At this stage, no treatment is necessary other than perhaps changing your glasses prescription a little more frequently.

As the vision degrades however, and this begins to impact upon the things that you do such as reading or driving, it may become necessary to consider cataract surgery.

What is involved in cataract surgery?

Cataract surgery is done as a day procedure, usually under local anaesthetic. An anaesthetist will inject some special medication into the eye socket which will render the eye numb, unable to move and mostly unable to see. Most patients are unable even to tell if their eye is open of closed.

Your ophthalmologist will then perform an operation lasting around 30 minutes to painlessly remove the cloudy lens from inside the eye and replace it with a synthetic lens implant.

Recovery time from cataract surgery is usually quite fast, so that you will notice improved vision within a few days of the surgery.

Are there any risks associated with cataract surgery?

All surgical procedures have some risks, and it is important to know about these prior to making a decision on whether to proceed with surgery. Your surgeon will discuss these with you prior to your decision, as well as providing you with more detailed written information.

At our practice, cataract surgery is performed by Dr Giles, Dr Steele and Dr Heinecke