What really is Cataract, and other things you should know about it.
What is Cataract?
The human eye works very similarly to a camera, and just like a camera, the human eye has a lens. This natural lens exists inside the eye. Cataract is a medical condition in which this natural lens becomes cloudy and opaque. Common symptoms of cataract include blurry or foggy vision, colors appearing less bright, not seeing clearly at night, seeing everything as double, and overall poor vision. Cataract usually affects elderly people, but younger patients may also be affected.
The most common cause of cataract is old age, but other causes may also be diabetes, injury to the eye, reaction from certain medicines, smoking tobacco, excessive exposure to sunlight, improper eating habits, genetic causes, and even birth defects.
What are the treatments of Cataract?
There are three common treatments for curing Cataract. These are - Manual Small Incision Cataract Surgery (MSICS), Phacoemulsification Cataract Surgery (Phaco Surgery), and Femtosecond Laser-Assisted Cataract Surgery (FLACS).
What is Manual Small Incision Cataract Surgery (MSICS)?
Manual Small Incision Cataract Surgery (MSICS) is a common type of cataract treatment in third world and developing nations.
In this method of cataract treatment, a manual surgery is performed on the eye to remove the cataractous lens. At first, the eye of the patient is given an injection of anesthesia. Then, the surgeon manually makes a small incision into the cornea of the eye of the patient, and removes the cataract affected lens. After that, a solid artificial lens made of glass like material is inserted into the eye to replace the diseased lens. Finally, the eye of the patient is bandaged to complete the surgery.
Manual Small Incision Cataract Surgery (MSICS) is a cheap method of cataract surgery which can be performed where resources are low. However, it is not a very sophisticated method of treatment, and the result is not always perfect. Because of this, we do not usually recommend going for Manual Small Incision Cataract Surgery.
What is Phacoemulsification Cataract Surgery (Phaco Surgery)?
Phacoemulsification Cataract Surgery - commonly known as Phaco Surgery, is a modern method of treatment of cataract. In this method of surgery, a special Phacoemulsifier Machine is used for the removal of cataract. It is a very quick and safe method of cataract surgery which does not require any incisions, injections, or bandages.
Phaco Surgery begins by putting a few drops of local anesthesia on the affected eye of the cataract patient. After that, a very small hole is made in the cornea of the eye of the patient. Then, a very small titanium instrument is placed through the hole, which is used to break up and melt the cataract-affected lens through thousands of vibrations per second. The melted lens is then removed through the same titanium instrument, and a soft, folding artificial lens is placed inside the eye through a small plastic syringe. Inside the eye, this lens unfolds and takes the place where the cataract-affected lens used to be. This completes the Phaco Surgery, and no stitches or bandages are required afterwards.
Phaco Surgery is a fast procedure which takes only around 15 to 20 minutes to complete, and is painless in nature. The patient can return home right after the surgery. These advantages have made Phaco Surgery the most popular type of cataract treatment around the world.
What is Femtosecond Laser-Assisted Cataract Surgery (Laser Cataract Surgery)?
Laser Cataract Surgery, also called Femtosecond Laser-Assisted Cataract Surgery, is the latest and more advanced version of Phaco Surgery. It was approved by the USFDA (United States Food and Drug Administration) as a method of cataract treatment in 2010, and became commercially available in 2012. We are proud to say that Laser Cataract Surgery has been available at Bangladesh Eye Hospital since 2015.
The process of Laser Cataract Surgery is similar to normal Phaco Surgery, but also has some special differences. Using a very special automatic laser machine, the small hole in the cornea is created very accurately. A laser is also used to soften the cataract-affected lens before it is removed, thus making the removal process much easier to perform. The rest of the surgical process is the same as normal Phaco Surgery, but the use of the automated laser makes the whole process faster, even more accurate, and reduces any unwanted risks.
What to Do Before and After the Surgery?
What do I need to do before getting Phaco Surgery / Laser Cataract Surgery?
Before getting Phaco Surgery or Laser Cataract Surgery, a patient needs to undertake three tasks. Firstly, the doctor will assign the patient some general pre-operative tests to make sure that the patient is ready for surgery. Secondly, measurements of the patient’s affected eye will be taken to determine the best artificial lens for that patient. And lastly, the patient will be prescribed an antibiotic eye drop which they will have to keep using up to the surgery.
What do I need to do after getting Phaco Surgery / Laser Cataract Surgery?
Right after undergoing Phaco Surgery or Laser Cataract Surgery, a patient must take one to two days of rest. The doctor will prescribe the patient some eye drops to prevent inflammation and infection, which the patient will have to use for four weeks. The patient cannot put water in their eye for two weeks after the surgery, and the patient should use dark glasses or sunglasses for at least one week after their Phaco Surgery or Laser Cataract Surgery.