Removal – How are cataracts removed?

Cataract surgery is one of the safest, most straightforward surgeries you can have, and has excellent success rates.  

During the procedure, your eye’s natural lens (including the cataract) is removed and replaced with an artificial lens (also referred to as an intraocular lens/IOL). Cataract surgery isn’t painful and is usually carried out under local anaesthetic, so you’ll be awake during the procedure. Eye drops are used to numb your eye and there are no injections or needles involved.  

The operation is typically carried out on an outpatient basis, so you’ll be able to go home on the same day as your surgery. You’re likely to be in the hospital for two-three hours on the day of your surgery, but the surgery itself only takes around 10 minutes to complete. 

Most cataract surgeries use a process called phacoemulsification, where the surgeon uses a high frequency ultrasound device to break your eye’s lens into small pieces, which are then removed. Once the clouded lens has been removed, the artificial lens/IOL is inserted and antibiotic solution is placed in your eye to reduce the risk of infection. A protective shield is then placed over the eye for 24 hours to prevent infection while the eye heals.