Cataract Surgery

While the surgical method is generally the same, the types of cataracts vary. The type often determines how quickly vision is lost and the difficulty of the surgery.

Nuclear Sclerotic Cataract

This is the most common type associated with aging.

• Location: It forms in the center (nucleus) of the lens.
• Symptoms: The lens slowly turns yellow or brown. It causes distance vision to blur gradually over the years.
• Hardness: As it advances, the lens becomes very hard (sclerotic), requiring more energy to remove.

Cortical Cataract

• Location: It starts at the outer edges (cortex) of the lens.
• Appearance: It looks like white wedges or spokes on a wheel pointing inward.
• Symptoms: Light scatters when it hits these spokes. This causes extreme glare from oncoming car headlights at night.

Posterior Subcapsular Cataract

• Location: It forms at the very back of the lens, right in the path of light.
• Risk Factors: Common in people with diabetes or those taking high doses of steroid medications.
• Speed: This type progresses faster than others. It destroys reading vision quickly and causes “halos” around lights.

Congenital Cataract

Some babies are born with cataracts due to genetics or infections during pregnancy. This requires urgent surgery to prevent Amblyopia (lazy eye) and permanent blindness.