Some facts and myths about cataract
Myth: Cataract can be cured by medicines, eye exercise, yoga or special drops.
Fact: Cataract cannot be medically cured. Some early cataracts do not progress at all and do not cause any problem in vision. This is the nature of the cataract and not due to medicines or exercise or drops.
Myth: cataract can occur only in old age.
Fact: Cataract is usually present in old age as a part of the ageing process. But this can also occur due to trauma, steroids or diabetes. Some cataracts can be present since birth.
Myth: The right time to perform cataract surgery is when it matures or ripens.
Fact: The best time to undergo surgery is when one develops difficulty in seeing or there is too much glare which is interfering with daily activities. It is safer when the cataract is early as the ultrasound machine used to emulsify cataracts works faster and is safer on early and soft cataracts than on mature and hard cataracts.
Myth: Cataract surgery is painful, and its recovery time is long.
Fact: The duration of the surgery is about 10 to 15 minutes and is performed as a day care surgery. For preventing pain, anesthetic drops are instilled in the eyes and injections or eye pad or bandage is not needed. Patients can resume normal activities on the next day and attend to outdoor work in a few days.
Myth: Cataract surgery is performed by lasers without the need to make an incision in the eye.
Fact: Cataract is removed by the technique of phacoemulsification where ultrasound energy is used to break the cataract into smaller fragments and sucked out from the eye. The laser can only assist in the initial steps in breaking the cataract into smaller pieces and ultrasound energy is a must when removing the cataract out of the eyes.
Myth: Cataracts can come back again.
Fact: Cataracts once removed cannot come back again. The intraocular lens can develop a layer behind it which can be easily wiped out by laser.
Myth: Intraocular lenses are harmful and need to be replaced later in life.
Fact: Intraocular lenses are not harmful and have a long life. There are hardly any instances where they has been a need to remove them. With the latest advances, these lenses have unique and outstanding properties which help to make the vision crystal clear and provide spectacle independence to the patient.
Myth: Glasses can be eliminated by cataract surgery.
Fact: While it is true that in modern cataract surgery, the need to wear glasses after surgery is minimal. Most individuals can perform all daily activities without searching for their glasses. Multifocal lenses and newer toric lenses can ensure a great range of vision and crystal-clear vision and meet the needs of the individual undergoing cataract surgery. For more information read about cataracts on our website.
Dr. Ramesh Murthy with his outstanding clinical skills and extensive clinical experience is among the best cataract surgeon in Pune.
