Adult cataracts are a progressive clouding of the lens of the eye that interferes with clear vision. The most important risk factor for the development of cataracts is age, but there are a number of causes that can lead to clouding of the lens at a much earlier age. These include diabetes, certain medications (steroids), eye injuries, and certain inflammatory processes.

The most characteristic symptom of cataract development is poor, blurred, foggy vision and the perception of dull, pale colors. Vision is often significantly affected by lighting conditions.

The only cure for cataracts, which impair vision and visual quality, is surgery, which involves removing the cataract and implanting an artificial lens (i.e., intraocular lens) into the eye. This is the most common and most successful surgical procedure in the world. The primary goal of cataract surgery is to restore vision, improve vision quality and quality of life, taking into account individual indications.

Prior to surgery, a complex examination is required, which involves recording the patient's medical history and conducting a detailed ophthalmological examination. In addition to cataracts, many other eye diseases can cause vision loss, which is why a detailed and thorough examination by a specialist is particularly important. During this examination, we also determine the refractive power of the intraocular lens to be implanted, measured in diopters. Even with the most modern methods of calculating artificial lens power, approximately 80% of patients achieve a refractive error of no more than 0.5 D after the planned surgery.

Medications taken regularly for other illnesses should also be taken on the day before surgery, including medications that affect blood clotting.

Our colleagues will be waiting for you when you arrive at the pre-arranged time. After a brief administrative process, you will be accompanied to a preparation room, where you will be given pupil-dilating, anesthetic, and antibiotic eye drops.

Once these eye-drops have achieved the desired effect, the patient is taken to the operating room. The surgery is performed in a comfortable supine position under the light of an operating microscope, while the face is covered except for the eye being operated on. The eye is held open with an eyelid retractor and continuously moistened. During the operation, the lens is removed through a small incision that closes without stitches, using a modern device that utilizes ultrasonic energy. Then, an artificial lens of a pre-selected type and diopter is implanted in place of the natural lens. The surgery usually takes less than 10 minutes, after which you will receive eye drops again, and a protective shell will be placed over your eye to protect it until the day after the surgery. The surgery is basically painless, but you may feel slight, temporary pressure during the procedure, see lights of varying intensity, and feel a rinsing fluid.

The chance of complications during or after surgery is very low, but even with the most careful technical preparation and maximum attention, the probability is not zero.

The chance of complications developing during or after surgery is very low, but even with the most careful technical preparation and maximum attention, the probability is not zero.

After the surgery, our colleague will accompany you from the operating room to the waiting room, where you will rest for 1-2 hours in a sitting position. We will then discuss what you need to do at home, and you can leave with the help of a relative. You should spend the first day at home resting.

After the surgery, you may experience temporary mild stinging, a foreign body sensation, mild pain, and sensitivity, for which you can take a general painkiller tablet.

After the surgery, you will need to use eye drops for 1-2 weeks. We will discuss their use and frequency of application, as well as the follow-up appointment after the surgery. After the surgery, you can read and watch TV, but you must not remove the protective shell from your eye on the day of the surgery!

After the surgery, you should expect a recovery period that requires patience. Typically, it takes only a few days, but sometimes up to 1-2 weeks for your vision to improve. Full recovery takes 4-6 weeks.

If you have other eye diseases (diabetes, glaucomatic damage, or age-related macular degeneration), your vision may not be as good as expected even after a successful surgery.

If you experience severe pain, rapid deterioration of your initially improving vision, or increasing redness of the eye during the days/weeks of recovery, you need to see an ophthalmologist immediately!

Months or years after surgery, thickening of the posterior capsule of the lens may develop, potentially causing vision loss. This can be corrected with a quick, painless laser treatment.

In modern eye surgery, it is now possible in some cases to remove the lens, which is otherwise optically clear (i.e., not cloudy) but does not function perfectly. From the age of 45-50, the lens slowly begins to change as part of a natural process, which also means changes in refraction and vision quality. Due to the poorly functioning, aging lens, glasses may be needed for distance vision, and glasses with increasingly stronger diopters will be needed for good near vision, as the lens slowly and continuously loses its youthful elasticity. In addition, vision quality slowly begins to deteriorate, contrast sensitivity and night vision weaken. It is typical for halos (rings), glare, and disturbing light scattering to appear around light sources during the day and/or at night.

If we remove the lens for these reasons, the surgery is called refractive lens exchange (anti-glasses lens replacement). The aim of this is to achieve independence from glasses, i.e., good vision without glasses, or in other words, to eliminate the need for both distance glasses and reading glasses with higher diopter values.

Refractive lens replacement is typically considered for patients over the age of 50 in cases where neither glasses, contact lenses, nor laser corneal treatments provide or would provide adequate results that are acceptable for everyday, individual lifestyles.

Refractive lens surgeries are usually performed on both eyes, with the two surgeries taking place on the same day or a few weeks apart.

The surgery is technically identical to cataract surgery: the lens is removed using the most modern technique available, under local anesthesia, and replaced with a special, premium intraocular lens. These artificial lenses enable us to provide excellent distance vision without glasses, while also eliminating the need for reading glasses for monitor distance and average-sized letters. It is important to note that complete independence from glasses cannot be achieved in all cases; low-diopter glasses may be necessary for reading small print in some cases.

A detailed specialist examination is necessary to rule out other eye diseases that impair vision in order to achieve a good result.

The selection of the type and diopter of the intraocular lens to be implanted ultimately determines postoperative vision, visual quality, and quality of life, so the decision requires careful consideration and precise planning. In everyday ophthalmic practice, we basically distinguish between monofocal (single-focus), trifocal, and extended focus intraocular lenses, but premium intraocular lenses that do not fit neatly into these categories are now also available. Premium intraocular lenses are those that provide improved visual acuity at medium distances (monitor distance) and reading distances.

It is important to note that with premium lenses, some compromise will likely be necessary, as perfect vision and perfect image quality cannot be achieved simultaneously at all distances and for small print. In other words, even today's advanced technology cannot restore vision to its youthful state.

In addition to these, cylinder correction may also be necessary in some cases, which can be achieved with toric lenses. If toric lenses are not used when necessary, glasses will be required for both distance and near vision. Toric lenses are available in all of the above-mentioned lens categories.