# Cataract Surgery > Citation bundle for Cataract Surgery on The Treatment Registry. > URL: https://thetreatmentregistry.com/procedures/cataract-surgery > Bundle URL: https://thetreatmentregistry.com/api/citations/procedures/cataract-surgery - Category: ophthalmology ## Description Cataract surgery, also called lens replacement surgery, is the removal of the natural lens of the eye that has developed a cataract, an opaque or cloudy area. The eye's natural lens is usually replaced with an artificial intraocular lens (IOL) implant. ## Overview Cataract surgery, also called lens replacement surgery, is the removal of the eye's natural lens once it has developed a cataract — an opaque or cloudy area that impairs vision. Over time, metabolic changes in the fibres of the crystalline lens, and the accumulation of clumped proteins or yellow-brown pigment, reduce the amount of light reaching the retina; early symptoms can include glare from lights (especially at night), faded or blunted colours, blurred or double vision, halos around lights and reduced vision in low light. Once glasses no longer help, surgery is the only effective treatment. During the operation the cloudy lens is removed from the posterior chamber, either by emulsification in place or by manual extraction, and an intraocular lens (IOL) implant is usually put in its place to restore focus. It is performed by an ophthalmologist, generally as a day (out-patient) procedure under local anaesthetic injection or topical anaesthetic drops, and is usually quick with little or no pain. The most common technique worldwide is phacoemulsification, in which an ultrasonic probe fragments the lens so it can be removed by suction through a small, often self-sealing incision; a femtosecond laser-assisted variant and manual small-incision extracapsular techniques are also used. Well over 90% of operations successfully restore useful vision, with a low complication rate, and recovery sufficient for most daily activities usually takes only a few days. ## Peer-reviewed outcome rates - **Complication rate:** 8.98% (range 8.55–9.40%) — from 2 cited sources ## Common risks - problems with your vision, such as cloudiness, blurriness, dark shadows or areas of light - your vision gets cloudy or blurry - you're finding it hard to focus your vision - your eye becomes red or painful - you see light or dark areas in your vision - it becomes uncomfortable or painful to look at bright light ## FAQs ### Why cataract surgery is done? Cataract surgery is done to improve your vision if you have cataracts. ### How to prepare for cataract surgery? Before you have cataract surgery, you'll have an appointment with a specialist who will examine and measure your eye. ### What happens during cataract surgery? You'll have cataract surgery in a hospital. ### What are cataracts? A cataract is a clouding of the clear lens inside your eye. This cloudiness blocks light from reaching the back of the eye, making it harder to see clearly. A cataract can affect one or both eyes, but it doesn't spread from one eye to the other. ### What causes cataracts? Most cataracts develop as part of the normal aging process. This happens when the protein in the lens of your eye clumps together. Over time, these protein clumps grow larger and thicker, making it harder to see. The lens may turn yellow or brown, which can affect how you see colors. ### Who is more likely to develop cataracts? Cataracts are very common in older adults. By age 80, more than half of all Americans either have a cataract or have had cataract surgery. Your risk for developing cataracts increases as you get older. You may also be at an increased risk if you: ## Alternative treatments - **Premium intraocular lenses** — Multifocal / extended-depth-of-focus IOLs reduce spectacle dependence at the cost of higher dysphotopsia risk. - **Refractive lens exchange** — Same procedure performed pre-cataract for presbyopia or high myopia correction. - **Spectacle correction** — Conservative management for early cataract not yet causing significant functional impairment. ## Cited authors - Adisak Trinavarat — Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand. siatr@mahidol.ac.th - K K Oladigbolu — Department of Ophthalmology, Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Shika-Zaria, Kaduna, Nigeria. ## Sources - [Visual outcome following posterior capsule rupture during manual small incision cataract surgery.](https://doi.org/10.4103/njcp.njcp_272_20) — Nigerian journal of clinical practice (accessed 2026-06-28) - [Visual outcome after cataract surgery complicated by posterior capsule rupture.](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22696849/) — Journal of the Medical Association of Thailand = Chotmaihet thangphaet (accessed 2026-06-28) - [American Academy of Ophthalmology — Preferred Practice Patterns including Refractive Surgery](https://www.aao.org/preferred-practice-pattern) — American Academy of Ophthalmology (accessed 2026-05-09)