What is
Cataract Surgery and How does it Work ?
By Gray Rollins
Cataract surgery involves the surgical removal of the lens of
an eye that has formed a cataract. Cataract extraction is the
one of the most common eye surgeries performed and is widely
regarded as being one of the safest procedures in the medical
community. A cataract occurs when the crystalline lens of the
eye becomes cloudy or opaque as a result of age, illness, or
trauma. This cloudiness can interfere with the eye’s natural
ability to direct light and focus an image on the retina. As a
result, individuals with cataracts frequently experience a loss
of vision.
There is no known way to
reverse the damage caused by
cataracts, although the complete removal and replacement of the
affected lens with an artificial lens can restore an
individual’s vision. The two most common procedures for
cataract extraction are called ICCE (intracapsular cataract
extraction) and ECCE (extracapsular cataract extraction). Both
of these procedures are typically done under a local anesthetic
on an out-patient basis, so cataract surgery patients are free
to go home the same day.
Extra-capsular surgery involves the removal of the affected
lens while leaving the majority of the elastic lens capsule
intact. This allows for the direct implantation of an
intraocular lens into the lens capsule. Extracapsular surgery
may be performed using one of two methods: conventional ECCE or
phacoemulsification. Conventional ECCE involves making a small
incision into the cornea or the sclera of the eye. The cataract
is then manually removed through the incision so that a
replacement intraocular lens can be inserted. Conventional ECCE
is best suited for those patients who suffer from very hard
cataracts or who have a weak or thin epithelium covering the
cornea.
The second method, phacoemulsification, makes use of an
ultrasonic handpiece. Ultrasound waves vibrate the cataract,
causing it to shatter and break up into a number of small
pieces. These pieces are then removed through aspiration via a
small incision in the cornea, after which a replacement
intraocular lens can be inserted. Phacoemulsification uses a
much smaller incision and may not even require stitches, with
the result that this procedure often affords patients a shorter
recovery period.
Intra-capsular surgery involves the removal of the entire lens
of the eye including the lens capsule. This procedure was
commonplace up until the 1980’s in the United States, but is
rarely performed today due to medical advances in cataract
surgery. To extract the lens the surgeon makes a large incision
in the cornea and injects medicine into the eye. This causes the
zonular fibers that hold the lens in position to break apart and
dissolve. A small probe is inserted into the incision and placed
on the lens so that it may be frozen via a cryogenic solution,
such as liquid nitrogen. The probe is then withdrawn from the
eye, pulling with it the frozen lens. Once the affected lens
has been removed, an intraocular lens implant may be inserted
in front of the iris as a replacement. Finally the incision is
stitched up.
Intra-capsular surgery has a high risk of complications due to
the pressure that is placed on the vitreous body of the eye
during the procedure. Patients have a prolonged period of
healing (up to 6 weeks), and are at a high risk for retinal
detachment and swelling of the eye. It is for this reason that
nearly all modern cataract extractions are performed via the
extracapsular surgery method.
About The Author: Gray Rollins is a featured writer for
MyEyeSurgery. To learn more about cataracts, visit
http://www.myeyesurgery.com/cataracteyesurgery/and for
information about glaucoma, visit
http://www.myeyesurgery.com/glaucoma/
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