What can one expect during cataract surgery?
Cataract surgery is the most frequently performed surgery in the United States – and the most successful. Over 95 percent of those who have cataract surgery regain vision levels between 20/40 and 20/20. Cataract surgery usually lasts less than one hour and is almost painless. Many people choose to stay awake during surgery and have an anesthetic to numb the nerves in and around the eye. A lens implant (intraocular lens) inserted during cataract surgery gives the surgeon an opportunity to correct nearsightedness or farsightedness. Current research on intraocular lens implants also may provide high quality correction for astigmatism and for both bifocal and multi-focal vision. Bifocal implants are currently used, but physicians have yet to achieve consistently satisfactory outcomes. The time required for recuperation after cataract removal depends on the type of procedure performed and the patient’s individual rate of healing. The decision as to which procedure is best for an individual’
