Cataracts are common and affect almost 75% of the U.S. population aged 65 and older. Cataracts are a gradual clouding and hardening of the eye’s lens, which results in reduced vision as you age. The most common symptoms of cataracts are blurring and dimming of vision, which may appear as a persistent glare or filminess, especially when the eyes are exposed to bright lights. With most cataracts, visual impairment progressively worsens without treatment.

Fortunately, cataract surgery is as common as the condition itself, and is usually very successful for restoring healthy vision. During cataract surgery, the eye surgeon removes the cloudy and hardened lens and replaces it with a new, artificial lens called an intraocular lens. Depending on a patient’s vision, a specific intraocular lens may be used to correct other distortions in vision, which may reduce or eliminate dependence on corrective eyeglasses. (more…)