A cataract is an opacity or cloudiness in the natural lens of the eye. It is still the leading cause of blindness worldwide and represents an important cause of visual impairment in the United States .

The development of cataracts in the adult is related to aging, sunlight exposure, smoking, poor nutrition, eye trauma, systemic diseases, and certain medications such as steroids.

Just as a smudged or dirty camera lens may spoil a photograph, opacity in the natural lens of the eye can result in a blurred image. Patients with cataracts usually complain of blurred vision either at distance, near, or both. This may interfere with tasks such as driving or reading. Other common complaints include glare, halos, and dimness of color vision.  When you are no longer able to see well enough to do the things you like to do, cataract surgery should be considered.

The only other option for treatment of cataracts is cataract surgery. In cataract surgery, the cloudy lens is removed from the eye through a surgical incision. In most cases, the natural lens is replaced with a permanent intraocular lens (IOL) implant.

Before the development of small incision cataract surgery and intraocular lens implants, outcomes with cataract surgery were far inferior to outcomes today. Therefore, ophthalmologists would typically wait until a cataract was very advanced before offering surgery. Today, with advanced surgical techniques and equipment, cataract surgery can be offered at a much earlier stage. In fact, many ophthalmologists will agree that it is safer to proceed with cataract surgery at an earlier stage of development rather than waiting until the cataract is advanced and very dense.

Cataract