The Development of Cataract Surgery


Cataracts have been a problem for many patients. Cataracts are when the lens of the eye clouds over, causing vision to be blurry. Luckily over the years treatment for cataracts has evolved and continues to be refined after years of research and innovation.


IOL implants: the beginning
The most commonly used treatment for cataracts is a surgery designed to implant what is called an intraocular lens (IOL). This treatment was inspired by the pieces of perplex that flew off warplanes and lodged themselves in pilots’ eyes without causing any damage. Prior to cataract surgery, contact lenses and glasses were the only treatment available and as such were only able to mitigate the effects of cataracts, not fix the problem.

Though they were invented in 1949, IOL implants weren’t widely used until the 1970s. Early ideas of lens or iris replacement and cataract operations pioneered the current generation of IOL designs.


IOL materials and surgical techniques
Mistakes in the past and advances in technology have led to new materials used in today’s lenses. These developments, combined with advancing surgical techniques like using ultrasound for extractions make incisions much smaller and the patient outcomes significantly safer and more successful. There are even implantable lenses that do not require lens extraction.

Other developments in cataract surgery are the techniques used. Laser options, vision and vision quality tests, and estimates are all up for consideration.

New IOL designs enter the market each year, making choices for patients more customizable and may be able to reduce the number of surgeries a patient has to address multiple vision problems. Other options such as glasses or Lasik can further refine vision and may increase overall eye health and wellbeing. Cataract patients should carefully discuss all options with their doctors to find the best solution for them.

Location: Columbia, SC, USA

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