Cataracts are very common in older people. By age 80, more than half of all Americans either have a cataract or have had cataract surgery.
A cataract needs to be removed only when vision loss interferes with everyday activities, such as driving, reading, or watching TV. Sometimes a cataract should be removed even if it does not cause problems with your vision. For example, a cataract should be removed if it prevents examination or treatment of another eye problem, such as age-related macular degeneration or diabetic retinopathy. If your elderly parent's eye care professional finds a cataract, your parent may not need cataract surgery for several years. In fact, he or she might never need cataract surgery. By having vision tested regularly, an eye care professional can discuss if and when treatment is needed.
Kinds of Cataracts Surgery
There are two types of cataract surgery.
Phacoemulsification or Phaco
A small incision is made on the side of the cornea, the clear, dome-shaped surface that covers the front of the eye. The doctor inserts a tiny probe into the eye. This device emits ultrasound waves that soften and break up the lens so that it can be removed by suction. Most cataract surgery today is done by phacoemulsification, also called small incision cataract surgery.
Extracapsular Surgery
The doctor makes a longer incision on the side of the cornea and removes the cloudy core of the lens in one piece. The rest of the lens is removed by suction.
After the natural lens has been removed, it often is replaced by an artificial lens, called an intraocular lens (IOL). An IOL is a clear, plastic lens that requires no care and becomes a permanent part of the eye. Light is focused clearly by the IOL onto the retina, improving vision. Your elderly parent will not feel or see the new lens.
Some people cannot have an IOL. They may have another eye disease or have problems during surgery. For these people, a soft contact lens, or glasses that provide high magnification, may be suggested.