Cataract Surgery-University of Michigan Kellogg Eye Center-Ann Arbor MI

About Cataract Surgery
The lens in your eye is normally transparent. When it becomes cloudy, you have a cataract. Cataract is the most common cause of vision loss in the elderly. Although cataracts are most often caused by the aging process, they can also result from disease or injury. Some babies are born with cataracts. Luckily, cataract surgery is safe and effective. Cataract surgery is the only way your ophthalmologist can remove a cataract. However, if symptoms from a cataract are mild, a change of glasses may be all that is needed for you to function more comfortably. Cataract surgery should be considered when cataracts cause enough loss of vision to interfere with daily activities. You and your ophthalmologist should decide together when surgery is appropriate.

In cataract surgery, the cloudy lens is removed from the eye. In most cases, the focusing power of the natural lens is restored by replacing it with a permanent intraocular lens implant. Cataracts cannot be removed with a laser.

Preparing for Surgery
Once you and your ophthalmologist have decided that you will have your cataract removed, a physical examination is necessary so that he or she may be alerted to any special medical risks. Ask your ophthalmologist if you should continue your usual medications. Your eye will be measured to determine the proper power of the intraocular lens that will be placed in your eye during surgery.

General information on preparing for surgery

During Surgery
During cataract surgery, your ophthalmologist will remove the cloudy lens from your eye. This is usually done under local anesthesia and performed as an outpatient procedure. He or she will implant a permanent intraocular lens implant. Through the use of careful measurements of the eye taken before surgery, your doctor will be able to select a lens power to correct for nearsightedness or farsightedness, helping to reduce dependence upon corrective eye wear after surgery.

Cataract surgery is performed using a microscope. In most cases, a very small incision is made and ultrasound device is used to break up and remove the cloudy lens. When both eyes have cataracts, the worse eye is usually operated on first; both eyes should never be operated on at the same time.

After Surgery
You may go home after a short stay in the recovery area. You should plan to have someone else drive you home.

After cataract surgery, you may return almost immediately to all but the most strenuous activities.

Follow-Up
Following your surgery, you will need to:

Be careful not to rub or press on your eye;
Use over-the-counter pain medicine if necessary;
Continue normal daily activities and moderate exercise;
Ask your doctor when you can begin driving;
Wear eyeglasses or an eye shield if advised by your doctor.
Several postoperative visits are needed to check on the progress of the eye as it heals.

Potential Risks
Over 95% of cataract surgeries improve vision, but a small number of patients may have problems. Infection, bleeding and swelling or detachment of the retina are some of the more serious complications that may affect your vision; fortunately, they are rare. Call your ophthalmologist immediately if you have any of the following symptoms after surgery:

Pain not relieved by non-prescription pain medication;
Loss of vision;
Nausea, vomiting or excessive coughing;
Injury to the eye.

Even if the surgery itself is successful, the eye may still not see as well as you would like. Other problems with the eye, such as macular degeneration (aging of the retina), glaucoma and diabetic damage may limit vision after surgery. Even with such problems, cataract surgery may still be worthwhile. If the eye is healthy, the chances are excellent that you will have good vision after your cataract has been removed.

Learn More
Learn more about cataract surgery in the booklet Corneal Transplant Surgery - A Guide for Patients (pdf)

Contact Us
For more information: Contact the Comprehensive Eye Care Clinic at the U-M Kellogg Eye Center at (734) 763-1415.

Click here for a complete list of surgical procedures at the Kellogg Eye Center.