Cataract is an ocular condition characterized by the progressive clouding of the crystalline lens, the eye’s natural lens, which typically begins to manifest around the fifth or sixth decade of life. Certain conditions—such as diabetes, trauma, and the chronic use of corticosteroids — can lead to earlier onset. Although it is a common age-related phenomenon, discovering that one has a cataract can cause anxiety or concern. Fortunately, thanks to advances in ophthalmic surgery, this condition can now be treated quickly, effectively, and painlessly—often restoring clear vision, sometimes even better than before.
The crystalline lens is essential for providing clear vision, but over time it becomes less transparent and more rigid. This natural process initially leads to reduced visual acuity, duller colors, and diminished contrast — as if one were looking through a fogged-up window.
Often, cataract progression is so gradual that the brain adapts to the visual changes, making it difficult to perceive the deterioration. Many patients only become aware of the problem during a routine eye exam. Recognizing the issue and intervening early allows not only for vision restoration, but also for rediscovering the beauty of detail and color in the surrounding world.
Cataract surgery involves removing the clouded crystalline lens and replacing it with a transparent artificial intraocular lens (IOL). Before surgery, thorough examinations are conducted to select the most suitable lens for the patient’s visual needs. During the preoperative consultation, the patient discusses the risks and benefits of the procedure with their ophthalmologist. The surgery is quick and painless, requiring only anesthetic eye drops and avoiding general anesthesia. Patients can go home the same day, provided they are accompanied. Postoperative follow-up includes an eye exam the day after surgery and another check-up approximately one month later.
Intraocular lenses, made from biocompatible materials, replace the clouded lens and are neither visible nor perceivable. There are various types of IOLs: monofocal lenses provide clear distance vision but require glasses for reading or intermediate tasks.
Thanks to modern innovations, advanced intraocular lenses are now available, offering sharp vision at all distances: near (for reading a book or smartphone), intermediate (for working at a computer or viewing a car dashboard), and distance (for driving or enjoying a landscape). These multifocal and/or extended depth of focus (EDOF) lenses not only eliminate cataracts but also correct pre-existing refractive errors such as myopia, hyperopia, or presbyopia. There are also toric lenses (available in both monofocal and multifocal/EDOF versions) that can correct astigmatism.
Choosing a state-of-the-art intraocular lens means regaining the freedom to live without relying on glasses: playing sports, reading a menu at a restaurant, cooking, shopping, working on the computer, watching TV, or driving becomes simple and natural. In about 20% of cases, a so-called “secondary cataract” may develop—an opacification of the capsule holding the artificial lens—easily treated in just a few minutes with a YAG laser capsulotomy. The overall result is an improved quality of life, bringing renewed visual clarity and a lasting sense of daily independence.