Cataracts cause blurred or dimmed vision.
From crude lances to modern ultrasonic technologies, developments in surgical instruments have revolutionized cataract removal surgeries. As the Encyclopedia of Surgery reveals in its detailed description of the surgery's history, ancient methods prevailed right up to the 18th century, when surgeons developed the skills to first remove the afflicted lens, then to implant an artificial replacement.
Background
The Mayo Clinic describes a cataract as a cloudiness of the eye's lens caused by changes in the proteins that float inside it. Cataracts can occur before birth, during childhood, or as a natural product of aging, and can cause blurriness or dimness of vision.
According to The Encyclopedia of Surgery, cataract surgery dates back to at least 1750 B.C. Ancient surgeons did not actually open the lens and remove the cataract; instead, they used a lance to push it back into the eye. The encyclopedia cites Jacques Daviel as the first surgeon to remove a diseased lens. Lens removal continued as the standard procedure until 1948, when operating microscopes, coupled with a new replacement lens called an intraocular lens, or IOL, made modern-day cataract techniques possible.
Conventional Extracapsular Cataract Extraction
The Encyclopedia of Surgery describes conventional extracapsular cataract extraction, or ECCE, as the best procedure for severe cataract cases. The surgeon applies an eyelid holder to prop the eye open, then cuts the cornea to tear open the lens capsule. Suction helps to removes the inner lens material. The surgeon then injects an elastic substance into the as preparation for inserting an acrylic interocular lens, or IOL. The elastic then comes out, and stitches close the incision.
Phacoemulsification
Phacoemulsification, a more recently developed procedure than ECCE according to The Encyclopedia of Surgery, uses an ultrasonic probe to pulverize the cataract so it can be removed more easily. While it offers a less invasive alternative to ECCE and enjoys favor over the more drastic procedure, the ultrasonic equipment requires additional training and practice to perfect, resulting in higher incidences of complications until the surgeon becomes comfortable with the technique.
Catarex
In 1997, a Business Wire press release proclaimed that Atlantic Pharmaceuticals patented a new cataract removal system called Catarex. Catarex features new technology in the form of a mechanically powered device that can make much smaller incisions in the eye and lens capsule. This new approach allows surgeons to remove a cataract in under 10 minutes, as opposed to 20 to 40 minutes for standard procedures.
Considerations
Doctors recommend cataract surgery more freely today than in the past, according to the Mayo Clinic. While no non-surgical treatment for cataracts exists, the difficulty of older forms of surgery led surgeons to advise putting off the procedure until vision was severely impaired. Modern techniques have simplified the ordeal for the patient while lowering the risk of complications, so most patients today consider surgery as soon as the cataract's effects begin to impact their everyday lives.
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