What is a cataract?

Cataracts are clouding of the human lens. Cataracts may be associated with age, trauma, infection, inflammation, systemic illnesses, and congenital syndromes. The most common cause of cataracts is age. There are approximately one million cataract surgeries performed yearly in the United States. Contrary to common belief, cataracts cannot be removed by lasers. An ophthalmologist, i.e., eye surgeon, makes small incisions in the eye and uses a special surgical instrument to remove the opacified lens.

To learn more about cataract surgery, please refer to Dr. Oetting's eBook on Cataract Surgery.