Cataract Surgery

Understanding Cataracts

A cataract is a clouding of the lens inside the eye that can blur vision. They develop slowly over the course of many years and are common in older populations. Although cataracts develop without a known cause, long-term steroid use and diabetes are risk factors. While not painful, cataracts can interfere with normal daily activities at which point you should seek a cataract evaluation exam with your doctor.

Types of Cataracts

• Age-related cataracts. The majority of cataracts are related to aging.
• Congenital cataracts. Some babies are born with cataracts. Some children develop them in childhood, often in both eyes. Some congenital cataracts do not affect eyesight, but others do and need to be removed.
• Secondary cataracts. Secondary cataracts usually happen because of another disease in the body (such as diabetes). Secondary cataracts have also been linked to steroid use.
• Traumatic cataracts. An injury to one or both eyes may cause you to develop a traumatic cataract. This can happen either right after the accident or several years later.

Symptoms of Cataracts

The most common symptoms of cataracts are:

• Blurred or hazy vision
• Poor night vision
• Sensitivity to glare and light
• Seeing halos around lights
• Colors appear to be faded or less bright

Cataract Surgery

Cataract surgery involves removing the cataract and replacing it with an artificial lens. 

Laser Assisted Cataract Surgery

At Greenwich Hospital, we use the CATALYS® Precision Laser System. With CATALYS many key steps of the procedure that have been performed with handheld instruments in the past can now be completed with precision using the laser. 

With the CATALYS Precision Laser System, your surgeon can provide:

• Customized treatment with advanced 3D imaging
• Laser precise treatment 
• A gentle approach to surgery

Lens Implant Options

• Astigmatism correction. Astigmatism refers to the shape of the eye not being perfectly round, which leads to blurred vision. Distance vision can be enhanced by using a Toric lens implant which can correct for the shape of the cornea so that vision is sharper for driving, spectating events, or just enjoying the scenery around you.
• Presbyopia correction. While basic lens implants allow for clearer distance vision, reading glasses are needed for intermediate (computer, dashboard) and near (books, cell phone) vision. We can now offer extended depth of focus and multi-focal lens implants which can provide more freedom from spectacles than ever before.

Frequently Asked Questions

Learn more about who is most likely to get cataracts, how they are diagnosed and the state-of-the-art procedures Greenwich Hospital uses to treat them, including the CATALYS Precision Laser System, a femtosecond laser technology.