A cataract is a cloudiness of the eye's natural lens, which lies between the front and back areas of the eye.About half of the population has a cataract by age 65, and nearly everyone over 75 has at least one. But in rare cases, infants can have congenital cataracts. These are usually related to the mother having German measles, chickenpox, or another infectious disease during pregnancy, but sometimes they are inherited.
A cataract usually starts very small and practically unnoticeable but grows gradually larger and cloudier. Your doctor is probably waiting until the cataract interferes significantly with your vision and your lifestyle.
You need to continue to visit your eye doctor regularly so the cataract's progress is monitored. Some cataracts never really reach the stage where they should be removed.
If your cataract is interfering with your vision to the point where it is unsafe to drive, or doing everyday tasks is difficult, then it's time to discuss surgery with your doctor
How is a cataract removed?
A small incision is made into the eye. The surgeon will either remove the lens as is, or use ultrasound, a laser or surgical solution to break it up, and then remove it. The back membrane of the lens (called the posterior capsule) is left in place. Usually, a replacement lens (called an intraocular lens, or IOL) is inserted.
Occasionally, a doctor will perform intracapsular extraction; this is when both the lens and the membrane are removed, to ensure that the membrane itself won't eventually grow cloudy and interfere with vision. When the membrane becomes cloudy, or if any bits of remaining natural lens become cloudy, this is called a secondary cataract.The problem with intracapsular extraction is that the membrane is no longer there to receive a replacement lens.
YAG lasers are used in a later procedure to create a clear opening in the lens-containing membrane, if the membrane becomes cloudy in the months following the original cataract removal.
