Perfect vision at an old age is something truly rare. A large number of people over 50 suffer from cataracts and have blurry vision due to it. Cataract causes the natural lens of the eye to become clouded, effectively blurring vision. Cataract lens surgery deals with this problem by completely removing the natural lens and replacing it with a man-made one. The new lens offers clear vision at a specific range, depending on the type of lens used. There is another procedure called refractive lens exchange which is an advanced type of cataract surgery which takes a minimal amount of time and provides sharper focus to patients.

Just like in cataract surgery, the natural lens of the eye is replaced with an artificial one, but in refractive lens exchange this lens provides excellent focus at the desired range. The lenses used are usually fixed focus lenses, called monofocal lenses. They only provide increased focus at long, medium or short range. Patients usually opt for long range focus, and reading glasses are still required for activities at short range. Multifocal lenses have also been released and are considered premium lenses due to their increased price. However, they allow the eye to focus on things at all ranges, including short and medium ranges. The need for reading glasses or contact lenses is removed by using such lenses, but since they are considered premium lenses, insurance companies do not consider them a necessity and are unlikely to cover the extra expense.

As useful as it is, cataract surgery is a procedure that many people either ignore or fear. However, neither of these actions is wise. Ignoring it will only cause the cataract to become more serious as time passes, and the more it advances, the more difficult it will be to treat. Waiting too long to have the cataract operation procedure can lead to unnecessary complications and can cause complete loss of vision in the eye affected, so it should be performed at the earliest time possible.

It is unlikely for the procedure to take more than 20 minutes. Add to this the time required for pre op preparations, as well as some time for post op recovery, and you are looking at around two or three hours spent in the hospital or ambulatory surgical centre. Those who feared long surgery and recovery times have nothing to worry about. However, keep in mind that only one eye can be operated on at a time. A waiting period of around two weeks is recommended before the procedure is repeated on the second eye. This gives the first eye time to stabilise.

Patients can expect to suffer from blurry vision for a few days after the surgery, while the eyes stabilise. It is also not uncommon for patients to see glare at night and halos around light sources. Some patients also report seeing things in a blue tinge for some time. While these effects should disappear in time, it does mean that driving and other visually intensive tasks may be difficult to perform. Other strenuous and physically intensive activities should also be avoided. Time is required for the eyes to heal and get used to the new lens. Some discomfort may be felt in the first few days after the surgery, but it will quickly go away.

Those worried about surgical complications should know that the risks are low and complications are rare. Infection is extremely uncommon, and retinal displacement is extremely rare. Even if complications arise, they can usually be fixed entirely. If vision is still not good after the procedure, adjustments can be made using a laser, or the lens can be replaced with a more, or less, powerful one, depending on each case.

Pain is also something that causes many people to avoid the surgery. Most people believe that eye surgery is extremely painful, yet that is not true. Anaesthesia is usually applied locally in the form of eye drops, and the surrounding area is disinfected. The eyelid is then held open while the surgery takes place. Neither of these procedures is painful, although some discomfort may be felt during surgery. The low surgery time makes this a minimal issue though.

With low risks and excellent results, cataract lens surgery and refractive lens exchange are procedures that should not be overlooked by anyone suffering from cataracts. They are neither painful procedures nor long ones, and recovery time is minimal. As mentioned above, left unchecked, cataracts can cause loss of vision, so the cataract operation procedure should be considered a priority by all who wish to retain or even improve their vision.