Cataracts/cataract

Cataracts usually occur as a natural result of aging, more rarely as a result of illnesses or injuries. In cataracts, lens opacity slowly increases and symptoms such as blinding, nearsightedness or unclear vision become increasingly severe. In contrast to glaucoma, cataracts are generally not dangerous to the eye and the time of treatment can be determined sooner or later, depending on the patients' complaints. The only treatment for cataracts is a surgical procedure, or a cataract surgery.

When is the best time for cataract surgery?

Clouds in the natural lens can be detected early on in an ophthalmological examination; this does not mean that surgery is necessary.

• Decreased quality of life due to increasing cataract symptoms (e.g. blinding, blurred vision)
  • Example: The patient no longer feels safe driving at dusk or at night
• Increasing myopization
  • Eyewear adjustment distances are getting shorter and shorter
• In addition to horror, there is also glaucoma and eye pressure cannot be reduced to the target area with eye drops alone
• The patient does not feel comfortable wearing glasses (progressive or reading glasses) and wants cataract surgery to correct the vision defect

When should cataract surgery be performed as soon as possible?

Cataract surgery is often delayed; this can have various causes, such as other illnesses, or often fear of eye surgery.
In the meantime, the process of lens clouding continues and the lens material is becoming harder and therefore more tricky to remove, the risk of the occurrence of complications So it continues to increase.
Not only does the hardness of the lens but also its thickness never increase over time, leading to an outflow disorder of the aqueous chamber and thus to an increase in eye pressure (glaucoma) can lead.
At a certain stage, the interior of the eye, such as the retina, can no longer be examined in detail, which entails additional risks and makes it difficult to plan cataract surgery.

From cataract to cataract surgery

Cataracts are usually detected during a routine check and are followed by a separate appointment for detailed Preliminary examination for cataract surgery. Looking at the measurement values together, the operation is then discussed and a suitable artificial lens (IOL) is determined.