Cataract formation is a normal part of aging. Three out of five Americans over the age of 60 suffer at least a partial loss of vision due to cataracts.

When a cataract forms in the eye, the normally clear natural lens becomes cloudy, prohibiting light from passing through it freely. The development of the intraocular lens, a tiny clear plastic disk, has made it possible for a patient’s natural lens to be replaced. This technique, extracapsular cataract extraction with an intraocular lens implant, is the most common outpatient procedure performed at the Cottage Eye and Laser Center.

Cataract surgery is an outpatient procedure that lasts less than one hour. A cataract patient can check in at 6:30 a.m. and be home in time for lunch.