Cataract

Condition

What is Cataract?

Cataract is a condition which causes clouding of the lens in the eye resulting in blurry vision. The lens is situated behind the iris, the dark portion of the eye, and is not visible. When a cataract occurs, the lens becomes cloudy and is seen as a white cloudy ball in the centre of the iris. The lens is made up of mostly water and proteins. These specific proteins provide its transparent structure.  Any structural change in these proteins can alter the clarity of the lens and negatively impact vision.

What are the Different Types of Cataract?

There are three types of cataract classified according to their location in the eye.

• Nuclear cataract is when the cloudiness is present in the centre of the lens.
• With Cortical cataract, the cloudiness is seen in the outer peripheral region or cortical region of the lens.
• Subcapsular cataract occurs at the back of the lens capsule or subcapsular region. This type develops quicker and can appear more suddenly than the nuclear and cortical cataract.

Cataracts are also classified according to the cause, either as age related cataract, congenital cataract, secondary cataract or traumatic cataract.

What Causes Cataract?

A cataract can occur due to many reasons.

• Age: As people age, changes can occur in the structure of the lens protein leading to cataract.
• Congenital: Cataract can occur in new-borns as an inherited disorder or can develop in infants because of infections in the mother during pregnancy, such as rubella, herpes simplex and syphilis.
• Secondary causes- Cataract can form as a complication of other diseases such as glaucoma and diabetes. Prolonged use of corticosteroid inhalers and eye drops increases the risk of cataract.
• Trauma – Certain injuries may result in formation of a cataract. Cataract may also develop years after the injury.

Other causes include excessive exposure of the eyes to UV rays, X-rays and other radiation during radiotherapy.

What are the Symptoms?

Cataracts usually develop very slowly and are not associated with any pain or redness of the eye. Your vision gradually becomes blurred as if you are looking through the dirty lens of a camera. Some patients may see a halo around bright lights. Others find the glare from the sun and head lights of approaching cars at night annoying. Some patients present with double vision in one of the eyes and the colours appear dull or muted.  In others, frequent prescription changes for glasses or contact lens may become necessary.

How is Cataract Diagnosed?

To assess the impact of cataract on your vision, your doctor will perform a Visual Acuity Test, where the patient reads an eye chart from a particular distance with one eye at a time. The doctor then examines the cornea, iris, and lens individually using an intense ray of light from a slit lamp to detect any abnormalities. For the retinal examination, eye drops are added to dilate the eye and the retina is examined for any abnormalities using an ophthalmoscope.

Treatment

What are the Treatment Options for Cataract?

Surgery is the only treatment for cataract and is recommended based on the severity of the condition and the impact on the daily activities of the patient.  The patient usually makes the decision to have surgery when the symptoms negatively impact the lifestyle.

Can Cataract Surgery be Done on Both Eyes at One Time?

Surgery is performed on one eye at a time with a few weeks gap in between the two operations.

How is Cataract Surgery Performed?

Cataract surgery is done on an outpatient basis where the patient can go home the same day. The eye and area around the eye is numbed using local anaesthesia. The cloudy lens is removed and replaced with a clear plastic lens in the same lens capsule as the natural lens.

What Types of Intraocular Lenses are Available?

Mplus Lens is a new type of IOL (Intra Ocular Lens) used in cataract patients that enables the patients to view both far distance and near distance objects without using glasses.

Traditionally, monofocal lenses were used in cataract surgery where the patient was able to see far distance objects with the new artificial lens implanted during surgery, but he/she required additional glasses or lenses to enable him/her to see near distance objects or to read.

LENTIS Mplus is a multi-focal lens which gives you clear vision for far, mid and near-range objects and helps you to perform your daily activities. Apart from cataract surgery, Mplus lens is also used for patients with short -sightedness, long- sightedness, astigmatism, and presbyopia.

The Lentis M plus lens has the following advantages:

• No possibility of developing cataract
• Normal magnification level
• Provides full peripheral or side vision
• Permanent solution to your focussing problems
• Excellent contrast sensitivity
• Produces good vision regardless of your pupil size
• Has reduced glare and haloes
• Performs well in all lighting conditions

What can I Expect After Cataract Surgery?

Following surgery, your doctor will prescribe eye drops to prevent infection and inflammation. A follow up visit is scheduled to monitor healing and to check for any complications from surgery.