Cataracts – the most common eye surgery
Cataracts entail an increased clouding of the eye’s lens. The milky discolouration of the lens begins gradually. To begin with, the person concerned hardly notices anything, but sight problems start to arise from the age of around 65. Without surgery, cataracts will lead to blindness. If the cataract is an impediment to everyday life, the clouded lens must be replaced with an artificial lens. Cataract surgery is the most common eye operation, and one of the safest operations there is.
What is a cataract?
The lens in the eye focuses the light that enters the eye and transmits a sharp image to the retina. The lens is usually crystal-clear. As a result of the ageing process, proteins are deposited in the lens and turn it greyish. Cataracts are rarely congenital. Metabolic disorders or injuries can accelerate the disease. The milky, grey-white colouring is called a cataract. The patient’s vision becomes obscured, colours fade and sunlight becomes blinding. Without treatment, the cloudiness will become more and more severe and eventually lead to blindness.
What happens in a cataract operation?
Around 60,000 cataract operations are performed in Switzerland each year. This is a safe and routine operation. In most cases, the patient spends a day in the clinic (as an outpatient) and can go home again after the procedure has been carried out. The eye is anaesthetised locally; general anaesthetic is not necessary. The ophthalmologist removes the cloudy lens from the eye and replaces it with an artificial one. All that is required is a tiny incision in the eye, which does not even have to be sewn up again after the operation.
Which measures are important after cataract surgery?
You should allow the eye to rest. A bandage is required on the first day, which is then removed. The ophthalmologist will give you eye drops to protect against inflammation. Be sure to put the drops in your eye as directed by your ophthalmologist. You can get back to normal everyday activities such as reading, walking or light housework right from the outset. After around two weeks, strenuous activities should also no longer be a problem again.