La eliminación de cataratas es el procedimiento quirúrgico más frecuente en España, donde, debido al envejecimiento de la población, está cirugía está en aumento. El Dr. Marruenda, Jefe de la Unidad de Oftalmología de HC Marbella, responde a las cuestiones más comunes que los pacientes se cuestionan sobre esta enfermedad ocular.

What is a cataract?
A cataract is a clouding of the lens, a clear organ within the eye that focuses images on the retina. As a person ages, the water content of the lens diminishes. Proteins and sugars clump together, causing the lens to become clouded. Vision becomes blurry, sometimes leading to blindness. This disorder is primarily age-related, but other causes exist such as eye trauma, corticoid intake and other, less common factors. Diabetes can also cause cataracts. Some babies are born with a congenital cataract, which may be hereditary or caused by intrauterine infections like rubella or mumps.

What are the symptoms?
Cataracts develop differently depending on the patient, and the symptoms may vary from one person to the next. Depending on exactly where the lens has begun to cloud, some patients may have trouble seeing up close, while in others, distance vision will be impaired. Others still will experience a “foggy” sensation, increased sensitivity to bright light or difficulty distinguishing colors.

When is it time for surgery?
It is the patient who decides when it is time for surgery, after being informed by his or her ophthalmologist and depending on symptoms. Surgery mustn’t be delayed for too long, as the cataract will increase in size and become hard, making removal more complex.