A cataract is clouding or opacity of the lens inside the eye. Inside the eye, behind the coloured part (the iris) with a black hole in the middle (the pupil), is the lens. In a normal eye, this lens is clear. It helps focus light rays on to the back of the eye (the retina), which sends messages to the brain allowing us to see.  

When a cataract develops, the lens becomes cloudy and prevents the light rays from passing through. As cataracts develop gradually many people fail to realize until the cataract has progressed effecting the vision.  

Symptoms  for Cataracts 

• Reduced clarity of vision.  
• Needing more light to read. 
• Difficulty with night vision 
• Light and glare sensitivity 
• Fading of colours 
• Frequent changes in prescription for glasses or contacts 
• Seeing halos around lights 
• Double vision (usually in a single eye)

Causes  for Cataracts 

• Old age 
• Diabetics  are more likely to develop a cataract 
• Trauma 
• Congenital 
• Prolonged usage of steroids and other prescription drugs.  
• Toxic agents: Copper, Cigarette smoking
• Overexposure to UV rays 
• Eye injury 
• Radiation 
• Electric shock

Cataract Surgery:- The only cure is surgery to replace the clouded lens of the eye with a clear lens. It can neither be cured with medications nor corrected with glasses. The surgery entails the removal of the clouded natural lens of the eye and swapping with clear Intraocular lens(IOL) which would result in a clearer vision than ever before with decreased dependence on glasses or contacts lens. 

MICRO INCISION CATARACT SURGERY

Microincision cataract surgery (MICS) is an approach to cataract surgery through incisionless than 1.8 mm with the purpose of reducing surgical incision size , additionally improvingsurgical outcomes. The main confirmed advantages of MICS are the control and avoidanceof surgically induced corneal astigmatism and the decrease of postoperative cornealaberrations.

MICS has been demonstrated to be minimally traumatic surgery, providing excellent postoperative outcomes . High degree of surgical innovation, use of advanced phacoemulsification surgical platforms with pressurized fluidic control and new surgical instrumentation, allow doing very sophisticated cataract surgery.

PHACOEMULSIFICATION

The phacoemulsification cataract surgery was developed by an American ophthalmic physician and surgeon, Dr. Charles D. Kelman. This technique was then practiced by surgeons by the end of the 1970s. Nowadays this technique is commonly used by ophthalmic surgeons all around the world. Phacoemulsification, or phaco, is method of cataract surgery in which the eye’s internal lens is emulsified using ultrasonic energy and replaced with an intraocular lens implant, or IOL.

Phaco surgery is performed with a small ultrasonic probe that is inserted into the eye via a two-to-three millimeter incision. This probe breaks the cloudy lens into tiny pieces and aspirates the fragments out of the eye. A permanent artificial lens (called an intraocular lens or IOL) is implanted, where the natural lens used to be. Surgery is performed under a local anesthetic, which prevents movement of the eye. Or topical anesthetic may be used to numb the area. Most procedures take between 15 minutes to 30 minutes.