A cataract clouds the eye's natural lens, causing significant visual distortions that can affect a patient's ability to see clearly. Eventually, the natural lens will need to be removed and replaced with an artificial intraocular lens that provides clear vision.
The recommendation is to operate one eye first and after a week to intervene the other. The procedure generally consists of:
Preoperative:
Upon arrival at the surgery center, an IV is placed in the patient's arm. Drops are placed in the eye to numb it and dilate the pupil. The patient is then taken to the operating room, where the skin around the eye is cleaned and the face is covered with a very light sterile tissue. You are given medication intravenously. General anesthesia is not used.
Process:
A small instrument is placed to hold the eyelids open, and a surgical microscope is placed over the eye. The patient looks at a bright light and will be asked to keep looking in a certain direction. A high-tech ultrasonic probe is used to dissolve the cloudy lens of the cataract, which is then replaced with the new artificial lens. The operation takes approximately 15 to 20 minutes. The patient is then taken to a recovery room for approximately 20 minutes, after which they are discharged.
Postoperative:
Initially, the eye will feel rough and vision will be blurry. Seeing halos of light is also common after surgery. Vision often begins to clear rapidly over the next few days. However, in some cases it may take several weeks to achieve maximum vision. As in any surgery, the healing period will vary depending on the individual characteristics of each cataract patient.
El Dr. José Alberto Muiños Gómez-Camacho, medical director of Innova Ocular Muiños Clinic, answer in this video if both eyes can be operated in the same surgery.
