What To Expect With Cataract Surgery

3. Types of Cataract Surgery

There are two types of cataract surgery. The first type is extracapsular surgery. The surgeon makes a long opening in the eye and removes the hard section of the lens, using suction to remove the rest of the cataract.

Small-incision cataract surgery or phacoemulsification is the modern approach. It uses a smaller incision and ultrasonic waves to dissolve the hard core of the cataract. The doctor then uses the same incision to remove the rest of the cataract using suction. The shift from extracapsular to small-incision cataract surgery has improved surgical outcomes and made patients more accepting of having the surgery in the first place.