Cataract
The disease
The crystalline lens is a transparent lens located in the eye that allows to focus the image and so to see clearly regardless of the distance of the object (in the emmetropic eye).
Cataract is a loss of transparency of the lens.
With age, the lens’composition changes and cataract ensues. That leads to a drop in visual acuity. When cataract ensues the visual acuity can not be corrected by means of glasses.
Cataract is a very common pathology in the elderly, and represents the most performed surgery in France and worldwide. It can sometimes occur in young people and not so commonly as for age-related cataract, it can also be the consequence of different eye’s diseases (e.g., chronic inflammation, diabetes, radiotherapy, corticosteroid use to name but a few).
The diagnosis
The first clinical sign is a progressive vision loss. Other common signs are photophobia and/or a change in color perception. Rarely at present, the cataract is enough severe to be visible to the naked eye.
Mostly, cataract can only be diagnosed by an ophthalmologist with slit lamp examination. Depending on the degree and site of opacification of the lens, we distinguish nuclear, cortical, cortico-nuclear, posterior capsular or total cataracts.
The treatment
When visual discomfort becomes clinically important, the unique treatment for cataract is surgery. This consists in removing the lens (cataract) by a small incision (less than 2.5 mm).
The envelope (called capsular bag) is not removed during surgery. The cataract is removed by means of ultresounds and at the end of the procedure an intra ocular lens is inserted into the capsular bag.
This surgical procedure can be done under local anesthesia in outpatient. After surgery a local therapy is instituted and thereafter, spectacles could be prescribed too.
You can make an appointment with one of the Ophthalmologists of the department who provide specific care dedicated to this pathology:
Dr Francesca AmorosoStaff Physician
Dr Agnès Glacet-BernardStaff Physician Associated Professor at College of Medicine of Paris Hospitals
Dr Oudy SemounStaff Physician
