Cataract surgery 

Surgical removal of a cataract from the lens of the eye is sometimes necessary to maintain a patient's sight. The usual procedure to remove a cataract is phacoemulsification, where the lens is broken down into small pieces, which the surgeon removes through a tiny cut in the surface of the eye. An artificial lens is inserted to allow the eye to focus images.

Before the cataract operation, eye drops are used to enlarge the pupil of the eye being operated on.

Cataract surgery can be performed under a local or general anaesthetic, but is usually done using local anaesthesia. Cataract surgery normally takes between 15 and 20 minutes ⁽¹⁾, but can last longer.

If you have a local anaesthetic, eye drops (or a gel) are placed on the surface of the eye to numb the area. During the operation, you may have the drops supplemented by injection.

The area around your eye will be cleaned and sterile drapes placed over your face. A special instrument will be used to hold your eye open, and you will be asked to keep your head still and to lie as flat as possible.

With the aid of a surgical microscope, the surgeon makes a tiny two millimetre incision. Through this, the cloudy lens is softened and then removed using a small tube. The back layer of the lens is left behind.

An intraocular lens (IOL) implant is then inserted. The IOL is made from plastic (perspex, acrylic or silicon-plastic) and will stay in your eye permanently.

You may see the bright light of the microscope (becoming brighter as the implant is put into place), but you won't see what is going on. Although the area is numbed, you will probably feel pressure, but it shouldn't be painful.

Sometimes tiny stitches are used to close the cut, although these are not always necessary. After the operation, a pad or shield will be put over your eye to protect it.