Cataract Surgery

A cataract is an eye condition where the lens of your eye becomes cloudy, making it difficult to see. A small operation can replace your cloudy lens with a clear plastic lens. Cataracts can make your vision become blurry or hazy. They can also make you sensitive to bright lights, see starbursts around lights, or see everything as slightly faded or yellow. The treatment for cataracts is surgery on the affected eye to remove the cloudy lens and replace it with a permanently implanted plastic lens called an intraocular lens.

A local anaesthetic works by blocking the nerves from the affected part of your body, so that pain signals cannot be transmitted to your brain. The numbing effect usually occurs within minutes and may last for a few hours.

All anaesthetics have risks so talk to your doctor beforehand about your options. Discuss any medical conditions or allergies you have. You can also ask about how to manage the pain after the local anaesthetic has worn off.