Cataract Surgery

How Is Cataract Surgery Performed in India? - Step-by-Step Procedure

Cataract surgery is a common procedure to restore vision affected by a clouded lens. This short explains the basic steps of the operation and what is involved.

The cataract surgery procedure

• Anaesthetic. Your eye is numbed with drops or an injection so you do not feel pain. You are usually awake during the surgery, which is often completed in under 30 minutes.
• Incision. The surgeon makes a tiny cut at the edge of your cornea to reach the lens inside your eye. This incision is often so small that it does not require stitches.
• Lens removal. An ultrasound probe is used to break the cloudy lens into small pieces. These pieces are then gently suctioned out of the eye.
• New lens. A clear, artificial intraocular lens (IOL) is folded and inserted through the same incision. It is placed where your natural lens used to be.

Recovery and your new vision

• Immediately after. You may wear a protective shield over your eye. It is normal for your vision to be blurry or for your eye to feel gritty at first.
• Eye drops. You will be given medicated eye drops to use for several weeks. These help the eye to heal and prevent infection and inflammation.
• Follow-up care. You will have appointments to check your eye is healing correctly and to measure your vision. Most people can return to normal activities within a few days.
• Lens options. The type of IOL used can be chosen to correct other vision problems, such as short-sightedness or astigmatism. This is decided with your surgeon before the operation.

The suitability of any procedure depends on your individual case. A final decision can only be made after a specialist has reviewed your medical reports and recent imaging.