The Cataract Surgery Procedure

At Heights Eye Center, cataract removal is generally performed as an outpatient procedure under local or topical anesthesia. You will be fully awake, but you will be comfortable and feel no pain. Typically, you will be asked to arrive an hour or so prior to your procedure, and you will be allowed to leave after a period of observation following your procedure. The procedure usually takes 15 to 45 minutes.

To remove your cataract (clouded lens), Dr. Watkins will use a technique called phacoemulsification (phaco). Dr. Watkins will make a tiny 1/8-inch incision using the precision of a diamond blade, and with the phaco probe will break apart the clouded lens and remove it. Next, an IOL (Lens) will be inserted through the same tiny incision, into the lens capsule of your eye. Because this procedure is performed through an incision that is very small, your eye will be able to heal rapidly with little or no discomfort.

Following the procedure, you will be allowed to return home within an hour or so. Vision is restored immediately in most cases; however, vision usually continues to improve in the weeks following the procedure. Keep in mind that lens implants have been in use for about 50 years to treat cataracts. Over 14.2 million cataract and lens implant procedures are now performed each year worldwide, with Dr. Watkins being one of the leading cataract surgeons.

What is a cataract? - Procedure - ReZoom Multifocal IOL