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1994-01-17
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$Title{Cataracts}
A Medical Times Patient Education Chart
(C) Romaine Pierson Publishers, Inc.
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Cataracts
A cataract is a clouding of the lens of the eye which blocks light from
entering the eyeball, causing blurred vision. You could compare it to a
camera--when something blocks the light from the lens, you get a blurred
picture.
Cataracts are most common in elderly people although they can occur at
any age. The cause is unknown and there are no drugs to treat the condition.
When the cataract reaches the point that it interferes with normal activities,
it should be removed surgically if the patient is in generally good health.
The operation is not serious and the success rate is very high. There are
several accepted methods of removal:
- Extraction (most common)--The eyeball is opened and the diseased lens is
lifted out with a freezing probe.
- Needling--This method is usually used in children. The lens is opened
and fluid from the eyeball enters the lens and dissolves the cataract.
- Phaco-emulsification--A high-speed instrument is inserted into the lens
through a small incision that breaks up the cataract and draws it out. Use of
the smaller incision in this method makes healing time faster and hospital
stay considerably shorter. This method has been mistakenly referred to by the
mass media as the "Laser Method." In reality lasers are not used, but rather
an ultrasonic beam. It is used in younger patients.
After the operation, normal vision is restored with the use of specially
ground eyeglasses, contact lenses, or occasionally implanted lenses in older
patients who cannot handle a contact lens.