What is a cataract?
A cataract is a clouding of the eye’s lens behind the pupil. Vision gradually becomes blurred, light causes glare, and colours look duller. A cataract is not dangerous to the eye, but once your vision starts to bother you in everyday life, surgery is the only effective treatment.
Typical symptoms
- Blurred vision at distance and near
- Change in glasses prescription
- Glare from sunlight, lamps and oncoming cars at night
- Colours look yellowish and blue tones are hard to tell apart
- Double vision that does not go away when you close one eye
When should you have surgery?
In the past, surgeons waited until the cataract was "ripe". Today we operate when the expected gain in vision is reasonable compared with the risk. A cataract is not dangerous to the eye, so surgery is only recommended when your vision bothers you. At the pre-operative examination we assess whether your symptoms are caused by the cataract, whether there are other eye diseases, and how much you can expect to gain from surgery.
How the operation is done
The cloudy lens is removed and replaced with a new, clear artificial lens. The lens nucleus is broken up with ultrasound and removed through an incision of only 2.2 mm. The incision seals itself without stitches, which means less strain, lower risk, faster healing and often good vision with limited need for glasses.
Your treatment step by step
- Consultation and diagnosisAn optometrist and the ophthalmologist examine your eyes and make the diagnosis. We measure your eye so we can calculate the right artificial lens, and we talk about your wishes for vision and glasses.
- Eye dropsYou receive an electronic prescription for two kinds of drops: an NSAID drop and a corticosteroid drop. Use them 3 times a day from the day before surgery, on the morning of the operation and for 3 weeks afterwards.
- The day of surgeryDrops are put in your eye several times to dilate the pupil, and you can have a calming tablet. The operation is done under local anaesthesia with eye drops and is painless.
- Home the same dayYou go home without an eye patch and may wear your usual glasses. You must not drive yourself.
- Follow-upWe see you again for a check-up. If both eyes are operated on, this is typically done 1–2 weeks apart.
After the operation
This is normal
- Blurred vision that improves over a few days
- Mild discomfort that can be relieved with over-the-counter painkillers
- Dryness and a gritty feeling for up to several months. Use lubricating eye drops from the pharmacy
Good advice
- Take it easy the first week and avoid strenuous physical activity
- Wait 2 weeks before swimming in pools or the sea
- Walks, showers, reading and TV are fine
- Do not rub your eye for the first 2 weeks
- Most people can return to work after a week
Contact us immediately if you have
- Severe or increasing pain
- Increasing redness
- Increasingly blurred vision
Outside opening hours: contact the out-of-hours medical service (lægevagten).
Results and risks
Most people have good vision after the operation. If the cataract is the only problem, vision can become normal or better than before, and many people only need reading glasses. The result depends on whether the eye has other diseases, such as AMD or glaucoma.
Serious, sight-threatening complications occur in less than 1%. These include infection, bleeding, retinal detachment, swelling of the retina, inflammation of the iris, raised eye pressure, or damage to the optic nerve or cornea. Rarely, the lens capsule tears, which may require another operation. The risk is higher if the eye has other diseases.
Which visual disturbances you may notice after surgery, such as halos and glare, depends on the artificial lens. Read about side effects of the different lens types.
Posterior capsule opacification
In some patients, the capsule behind the artificial lens becomes cloudy months or years later. This is treated quickly and painlessly with laser. Read about posterior capsule opacification
Glasses afterwards
Your old glasses will usually no longer fit, and most everyday tasks can be done without glasses. For reading we recommend over-the-counter reading glasses of +1.5 or +2.0. If you need new prescription glasses, wait at least 1 month after your last operation before seeing an optician. If you would like to be less dependent on glasses, you can read about lens options.