A cataract forms when the lens inside the eye, which helps to focus the light, becomes gradually more hazy. This means that less light can enter the eye and the vision seems more blurred.
Cataracts can affect either one or both of the eyes.
Cataracts are usually associated with increasing age, but they can also be caused by medications, other eye conditions, or trauma to the eye.
Symptoms
Early cataract: possibly none, or mild blur that can be helped with glasses.
More advanced cataract: increasing blurred vision, colours looking different (eg. whites can look cream), glare (eg. from headlights when driving in the dark), trouble seeing at night, needing more light to read, and on rare occasions double vision.
Developing cataracts can also make you more short-sighted.
Diagnosis
If you notice any of the above symptoms, please contact us to arrange an appointment with one of our optometrists. If cataract is the cause, they will see this during the test and discuss your options with you.
Treatment
If treatment is required then you will need a short operation. Surgery is performed through a tiny hole in the eye and your own lens is replaced with a plastic implant.
However, not all cataracts require treatment. If you are not having any problems and your quality of life is not affected, surgery is not usually required.
Most patients are delighted with the results of their cataract surgery, though it can take between three to six weeks to completely recover from the procedure
After surgery, patients say that:
- Things are clearer (once they have their updated vision correction)
- Glare is not as noticeable or as annoying
- Colours seem brighter and more distinct
If you have another condition affecting your eyes, such as macular degeneration, diabetes or glaucoma, you may still have limited vision, even after successful surgery. Your optometrist and ophthalmologist will discuss with you at your appointment.
Cataracts are caused by the lens inside your eye becoming clouded over time. This happens to everyone eventually, though it can happen sooner in people who have diabetes, have been exposed to a lot of UV light, or have had trauma to the eye.
The most common symptom of cataracts is blurred vision. Other common symptoms are: glare from lights at night, eg. while driving when it’s dark; colours looking different (eg. what looks cream to you may seem white to someone else); haloes around lights.
If you notice any of these symptoms, please contact us to arrange an appointment.
If you have cataracts, your optometrist will let you know during your sight test. In the early stages, nothing needs to be done except to have the eyesight and eye health monitored. Eventually, though, the cataract will need to be removed with surgery.
If you require referral, your optometrist will ask you to return on another day for a followup appointment. During that appointment, they will put drops in the eyes which will make your vision blurred – therefore you should not drive to that appointment. At this appointment they will double check their findings and discuss the cataract surgery procedure with you, allowing you time to ask any questions that you might have. Following this appointment, they will refer you to a consultant ophthalmologist for cataract surgery.
You can choose between being referred on the NHS, or privately. The NHS waiting list in Cardiff and Vale Health Board is currently about two years long, though they are working hard to bring this time down. If you would prefer to go privately, you will generally be seen within two months.
At the assessment you will be asked about your vision problems and their effect on your quality of life. The ophthalmologist and their team will examine your eyes and take some measurements of your eye (Biometry) to help them decide which lens would give you the best vision. They will take this into account when selecting the plastic implant lens that will be inserted during the operation. A nurse will go through some relevant health checks and talk you through the procedure and answer any questions you may have.
If surgery is offered and you decide to go ahead, a date will be arranged for surgery.
The surgery will normally take 10-20 minutes. Most cataract operations are performed under a local anaesthetic, so you’ll be awake. Most people say that they can only see a bright light during surgery, while some say that they see a little bit of movement (though nothing specific). Your ophthalmologist and anaesthetist will make sure you don’t feel anything, as well as talking you through everything they’re doing.
Your ophthalmologist will make a very small cut in the eye to remove the cataract and then replace it with an artificial lens. In most cases stitches aren’t needed. After the operation, you’ll initially need to keep your eye covered to protect it from any accidental damage. You can go home the same day, but you won’t be able to drive. Someone will need to look after you for about 24 hours after your procedure.
After cataract surgery, you will be mobile, but you will need to make sure that you rest. It’s normal to experience some itchiness, sticky eyelids, or fluid discharge during this time.
Mild discomfort can be managed by taking paracetamol as advised. After a few days even mild discomfort should begin to disappear, and in most cases, healing will take about two to six weeks.
During recovery you’ll need to wear a plastic shield at night to protect the eye when sleeping. You’ll also need to use eye drops for about four weeks to reduce inflammation and prevent infection.
Your ophthalmologist will discuss all these details with you during your appointment and will advise on the follow-up care they recommend. Unless you are a complex case, this is usually provided by optometrists (like us!) four weeks after your surgery.
Cataracts are caused by the lens inside your eye becoming clouded over time. Cataract surgery involves removing this lens and replacing it with a clear plastic lens.
The consultant who does your surgery will measure your eye and take your prescription into account. This will help them choose what lens to put into your eye, as they will usually try to correct your distance vision with the new lens. This means that you should be able to see well in the distance without glasses (though there is sometimes a small prescription left over). You will still need reading glasses to help with the close work.
Your consultant may offer to leave one or both eyes short sighted after the surgery, especially if you were already short sighted before. This will mean that you can see to read close up without glasses on. However, you will need glasses to sharpen the distance vision.
If you opt to have your cataract surgery done privately, you can have a varifocal-style lens used to replace your cataract. These lenses help you to focus both at near and distance, meaning that ideally people do not to wear glasses after having these lenses (though some people do find their vision is a little better with glasses still). These lenses can cause a halo effect around lights, especially in the dark. There is usually an additional cost for these lenses.
You should always have a sight test about four weeks after your cataract surgery so that your vision can be checked and you can be provided with glasses if necessary.
If you have any queries, please get in touch.
Cataract surgery is extremely common, with millions of patients having it done every year. Most surgeries are successful, though there is always a slight risk of infection or other complications.
The risk of complications is estimated at around 1 in 50 cases. These can include: blurred vision, some loss of vision, detached retina – where the thin layer at the back of your eye (retina) becomes loose.
Most of these serious complications can be treated with medicines, laser treatment or further surgery.
There is a very small risk (around 1 in 1,000) of permanent sight loss in the treated eye as a direct result of the operation.
These risks will be discussed with you by your optometrist before you are referred to an ophthalmologist. They will be discussed again in the Eye Clinic and you will be asked to give consent for surgery.