Cataracts are a form of opacity that develops in the eye lens, causing myopia at first and visible by the gradually cloudy and yellowing appearance of the eye. If it isn’t treated, it can lead to vision loss or glaucoma. Chief causes of cataracts are exposure to radiation and ultraviolet lights, particularly among pilots, but it’s a condition that can also arise as a secondary effect of diabetes or protein deficiencies in the eye.

Cataracts are the main cause of blindness in the world, and statistics in the United States suggest more than 40 per cent of those over 50 years old suffer from some form of lenticular change, with up to 90 per cent suffering over the age of 75. The result is cloudy eyesight, but the remedy is a simple operation to remove the damaged lens and, if necessary, replace it with a permanent plastic optical one.

Procedure information
Nowadays, modern surgery can remove cataracts with a simple operation that requires no more than a local anesthetic. Two types of surgery are employed. Extra-capsular (extracapsular cataract extraction, or ECCE) removes the damaged part of the lens but leaves the lens capsule intact, while the more uncommon intra-capsular surgery (intracapsular cataract extraction, or ICCE) method is for more serious conditions and involves removing the lens entirely and replacing it with a permanent plastic lens.

Recovery time
Cataract operations are straight-forward and inexpensive procedures with a 98 per cent success rate. Patients are usually able to go home within the same day of the operation.

Patients are sometime required to take antibiotics post-operation to prevent infection. Topical corticosteroid eye drops are used in conjunction with the antibiotics, administered by the patient to reduce inflammation and minimise the risk of infection. Full recovery can be expected within one month, with many patients having no noticeable effects after just one week.