Cataract Surgery

What Is Cataract Surgery?

When the lens of the eye (crystalline), becomes cloudy or opaque, cataract surgery is necessary to remove the affected lens and replace it with a clear, synthetic one.  About a week prior to the surgery, the ophthalmologist performs an ultrasound test, measuring the size and shape of the patient’s eye in order to determine the appropriate power for the lens implant. 

During cataract surgery, the ophthalmologist gives the patient local anesthesia before performing either phacoemulsification (phaco) or conventional extracapsular cataract extraction (ECCE).  In phaco, the ophthalmologist uses foldable lenses and the wound closure is sutureless.  In ECCE, the lenses are non-foldable and the wound usually needs stitches for closure.   

To perform phacoemulsification, the ophthalmologist makes a small incision where the cornea meets the conjunctiva to insert a needle-thin probe.  The probe transmits ultrasound waves that break up the cataract and remove the fragments through suction.  The lens capsule is left in place as a support for the lens implant.   

If the cataract cannot be removed through phacoemulsification, the ophthalmologist performs an ECCE, which requires a larger incision where the cornea and sclera meet.  The ophthalmologist opens the lens capsule through this incision and removes the center of the lens in a single piece, vacuuming out the soft outer lens, leaving the lens capsule intact.   

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