The procedure
Cataract surgery, explained honestly
No mystery, no jargon. This page walks you through the operation the way we explain it in the consulting room: what happens, why it is safe, and what it can and cannot do.
- About 15 minutes per eye
- Local anaesthetic drops
- Home the same day
- No stitches as a rule
When to operate
The right moment is about your life, not a number
A cataract does not damage the eye by waiting, so there is rarely a medical emergency. The question is a practical one. Do glare and faded colours limit your driving? Has reading become tiring? Do new glasses no longer help?
When blurred vision starts costing you real quality of life, surgery is worth discussing. Modern surgery no longer requires the cataract to be "ripe". Operating earlier, on a softer lens, is technically gentler.
At your assessment we measure how much of your visual loss is truly caused by the cataract. If surgery will not help you, or not yet, we say so.
After surgery: the artificial lens sits in the natural capsule and focuses light sharply on the retina again.
Step by step
Fifteen minutes, five steps
Phacoemulsification is the standard method worldwide, refined over decades. This is what happens while you watch the light.
- 1
Numbing and preparation
Your eye is numbed with drops. You are awake, comfortable and covered with a sterile drape that leaves only the eye free. A gentle sedative is available if you wish.
- 2
A 2.2 mm opening
The surgeon creates a tunnel-shaped micro-incision at the edge of the cornea. It is so small that it seals itself at the end of surgery. Stitches are almost never needed.
- 3
Removing the clouded lens
An ultrasound probe breaks the clouded lens into tiny fragments, which are drawn out of the eye. The clear capsule that held your lens stays in place as a natural pocket.
- 4
Implanting your new lens
The folded artificial lens is inserted through the same small opening and unfolds inside the capsule. It centres itself and stays there permanently, invisible from outside.
- 5
Straight to recovery
The whole procedure usually takes about 15 minutes. You rest briefly, receive your drop schedule and go home the same day with a protective shield over the eye.
Safety and risks
What we tell you before you decide
Trust needs honesty. Cataract surgery has an excellent safety record, and it is still surgery. These are the facts we discuss with every patient.
Very common, very refined
Millions of cataract operations are performed worldwide every year. Techniques, instruments and lens implants have been improved continuously for over half a century.
Risks, named openly
Serious complications such as infection or retinal problems are rare, but they exist. You receive a clear explanation and written information before you consent, never after.
Watched until healed
Two scheduled follow-ups belong to our fee plan, and the surgeon remains reachable in between. Healing is not left to chance or to a stranger.
A note on expectations: the artificial lens restores clarity lost to the cataract. It cannot repair other conditions such as macular degeneration or glaucoma. Your assessment includes OCT imaging precisely so we can tell you beforehand what result your retina supports.
After the operation
Most patients see the difference within days
Vision is often noticeably clearer by the next morning, though it keeps sharpening over the following weeks. Mild scratchiness, light sensitivity or watering in the first days is normal and settles on its own.
- Eye drops for a few weeks protect against infection and calm the eye.
- Reading and screens are fine as soon as you feel comfortable.
- Avoid rubbing the eye, heavy lifting and swimming pools at first.
- Driving is usually possible again once the eye meets the legal standard, often within days.
Good to know
Your lens lasts a lifetime
The implant does not wear out, cannot cloud over and never needs replacing. A cataract cannot grow back. If the capsule behind the lens turns hazy years later, a short YAG laser treatment restores clarity for good.
Both YAG treatment and long-term check-ups are available at the practice.
Questions about the procedure
Asked in the consulting room, answered here
Am I awake during cataract surgery?
Yes, and that is the standard worldwide. The eye is fully numbed with drops, so you feel pressure at most. You see light and movement, but not the instruments. A mild sedative can be given on request. General anaesthesia is reserved for rare exceptions.
How safe is the operation?
Cataract surgery is among the most practised procedures in all of medicine, with a high safety record. Serious complications such as infection are rare. We discuss the realistic risks openly at your assessment, in plain language, before you decide anything.
What is a secondary cataract?
In the months or years after surgery, the capsule behind the artificial lens can turn hazy. Vision becomes dull again. This is common, harmless and treated in minutes with a YAG laser at the practice. It does not come back afterwards.
Can both eyes be treated at the same time?
Usually the second eye follows the first after a short interval, often within one to two weeks. For patients travelling from abroad we plan both procedures into one compact stay whenever the findings allow it.
Find out what surgery can do for your eyes
The assessment gives you measurements, an honest recommendation and a fixed written quote. Whether you go ahead remains entirely your decision.