The crystalline lens is the main part of the focusing mechanism of human eye. The lens which is clear and transparent becomes cloudy and opaque with age and thereby hampering normal vision. Any opacity in the crystalline lens, which leads to decreased vision, is Cataract.

Ageing is the most common cause for cataract. Proteins of the eye get reduced with the age and this leads to Cataract. Other causes include congenital and developmental anomalies, trauma, inflammation of the eye and metabolic diseases like Diabetes and Hypothyroidism. Cataract makes simple tasks difficult and in some cases impossible to perform. In the early stage of Cataract the lens refracts light irregularly, so the images formed are blurred and unclear. In the chronic stage cataract may cut off light nearly in total, causing blindness.

Some of the common Symptoms of Cataracts are:

• Cloudy or blurred vision
• Changes in one’s perception of colours
• Sensitivity to bright lamps or sunlight
• Poor night vision
• Difficulty in driving especially at night
• Frequent changes in eye glass prescription

Cataract should be removed as soon as it begins to affect daily activities. With any of the above mentioned symptoms setting in, it is the right time to go for Cataract removal. One should not wait for the cataract to get matured as unnecessary delay can lead to avoidable complications and more difficult surgery. Cataract surgery can be undertaken successfully in any season. Summer or rainy seasons have absolutely no effect on the outcome of the cataract eye surgery .

Surgery is the only course of treatment for cataract. There are two options available for cataract surgery:

• Conventional Cataract Surgery or Extra Capsular Cataract Extraction
• Microincision Cataract Surgery (Phacoemulsification)

Phacoemulsification Cataract Surgery with implantation of foldable Intra Ocular Lens (IOL) is the most recommended treatment for Cataract. The procedure is simple, safe, and accurate and it leads to rapid recovery. There are a number of advantages of Phacoemulsification with foldable IOL over Conventional Cataract Surgery:

• This is a painless surgery that requires no injection, stitches or bandage.
• Drops of local anesthetic agent are used instead of an injection in the eye
• Early visual rehabilitation for the patient
• Normal activities can be resumed soon
• Minimum curvature changes occur in the eye after surgery
• No diet restriction after surgery
• Final glasses can be prescribed within two weeks
• Removal of the cataract takes just about 2 minutes and the entire   procedure would take about 5-8 minutes.