The lens is mostly made up of water and protein and this is arranged in a precise regular way that keeps the lens clear, allowing light to pass through. As we age, the protein elements generally start to cluster together causing the lens to become cloudy. Over time, the protein changes result in complete clouding of the lens, eventually making it difficult to see.
Cataract Surgery removes the cloudy lens and gives a unique opportunity to correct your spectacle correction. At the time of surgery your cloudy lens is replaced by plastic lens of a specific power to correct your vision, so you don’t need glasses for distance. In addition, there are a range of special lenses that can correct astigmatism and also allow clear focusing at intermediate distances and near. For many people this can allow crystal clear glasses-free vision, at all distances. For those people who are yet to develop a visually significant cataract they can take advantage of the same surgery, now called Refractive Lens Exchange, to insert a special lens to also allow crystal clear glasses-free vision, at all distances.
