Cataract Center

Cataract surgery is the most commonly performed surgical procedure in the United States. The procedure is performed on an outpatient basis and the procedure itself generally takes about 30 minutes or less.

Cataract surgery is a two-step procedure. We remove the cloudy lens through a microscopic incision by gently breaking the cataract into smaller pieces with ultrasound energy. Once the cataract is removed, a new artificial lens implant is inserted into your eye. The lens implant is necessary to restore the ability to focus after surgery.

These implants come in much different strength, like glasses. Before your cataract operation, we will perform several measurements to determine the appropriate lens implant strength for your eye.

Once your cataract is out and your implant is in, the operation is over. Most people start seeing better within a day or two after cataract surgery, but it is not unusual or necessarily abnormal if your vision seems blurry for a few weeks after surgery as your eye heals. Your doctor will prescribe some eye drops for the healing period after surgery, and if you need new glasses after surgery, these will be prescribed for you once your eye is completely healed, usually about a month after surgery.

Cataracts cannot grow back, but sometimes a thin cloudy membrane grows behind the lens implant, making your vision blurry like the cataract did. This is not uncommon; it happens to roughly 20-30 percent of patients after cataract surgery. If it happens to you, a quick, office-based laser treatment can be performed to peel off the membrane for you to see clear again.