Cataract surgery
This painless operation is performed as an outpatient procedure at the CNVO and takes about 30 minutes. The eye is made numb with anaesthetic eye drops. No injections are given. The opaque lens is removed using ultrasound or a laser and replaced with an artificial lens. This is inserted into the eye through an opening only 2 mm long at the edge of the cornea.
This lens is deployed in the place of the crystalline lens and cannot be seen. The artificial lens can correct myopia, hyperopia, presbyopia or even astigmatism. Modern multifocal lenses make it possible in some cases to see without glasses at all distances.
The vast majority of cataract operations are performed under local anaesthesia (eye drops or injections around the eye), on an outpatient basis, with the patient staying only half a day.
The operation is painless. Pain of varying intensity may, however, be felt for the first 24 hours after the operation.
In some cases, a general anaesthetic may be required, as well as a short 24-hour hospital stay.
Laser cataract
This can now be done by special high-tech equipment.
The capsule surrounding the lens is more resistant to tearing than with the old technique and is therefore better suited to the insertion of special lenses. The ultrasound energy required can also be significantly reduced.
Another technical advantage of the laser is the "optical coherent tomography" (OCT for short). This is an imaging procedure that allows not only the cornea but also the interior of the eye to be examined with chambers and lenses in high resolution.
Even the smallest structures of the eye can thus be represented with micrometer accuracy. The low pressure with which the suction is applied to the eye in a gentle manner causes very little discomfort.