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Cataract surgery
Removing cataracts using phacoemulsification is preferred over standard extracapsular surgery because:
- The surgery can be done more quickly.
- There is less astigmatism after surgery.
- Recovery of sight after surgery is faster.
- The risk of complications after surgery is less.
The improvement of vision is the same for both procedures. But the healing process is quicker for phacoemulsification.
The more experience your surgeon has, the less likely you are to have problems. Ask your family doctor or optometrist to suggest a surgeon.
People usually need reading glasses (glasses for near vision) after cataract surgery, no matter which type of surgery is performed. But some people may choose to have different lens implants (intraocular lens, or IOL) in their eyes so that one eye can be used for distance vision and the other for near vision (monovision). A type of IOL that allows you to see both distance and near vision is available. Talk to your doctor about the pros and cons of each type of IOL.
In some children, surgery to remove a cataract that causes significant vision loss may be very important in preventing blindness. The most critical period for the development of sight is from birth to 3 months. The earlier cataracts in children are diagnosed and treated, the more likely it is that their eyesight will be protected.
Infants have the highest risk (almost 100%) for cloudiness in the back portion of the lens capsule following cataract surgery. If posterior capsule opacification develops after cataract surgery, a laser procedure or a vitrectomy that removes the posterior capsule may be needed. For that reason, most pediatric cataract surgeries remove the central portion of this posterior capsule during the first operation. This may allow better sight and reduce the need for laser surgery.
If a child has cataracts that are causing significant vision loss in both eyes, surgery on the second eye needs to be done within a few weeks. As in adults, only one eye is operated on during each surgery. This decreases the chance of complications occurring in both eyes at the same time.
Because of infants' rapid eyeball growth and for other reasons, some surgeons don't use IOLs in infants. Most often, an infant has to wear a contact lens to replace the lens that is removed from the eye. If surgery can be delayed until the child is 1 to 2 years old, the surgeon may be able to use an IOL to replace the lens in the child's eye. Surgery cannot always be delayed, though, because of the risk of amblyopia and permanent vision loss.
Complete the surgery information form (PDF) 
(What is a PDF document?) to help you prepare for this surgery.
| By: | Healthwise Staff | Last Revised: September 29, 2009 |
| Medical Review: | Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine Christopher J. Rudnisky - Ophthalmology | |
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