LOL Not But IOL Instead

Here's what I'm doing Monday morning. Cataract surgery. It's a piece of cake now. They actually liquify my lens and suck it out. Whoa!

Cataract surgery involves removal of the clouded natural lens and implantation of a clear plastic intraocular lens (IOL). This is typically performed on an outpatient basis and seldom requires a hospital stay. Most patients are allowed to return home within an hour or two of their surgery. Typically this is performed with a local anesthetic but is also frequently done using topical anesthesia, simply using anesthetic drops. After the anesthetic, a small 3 millimeter (about 1/8 inch) incision is made in the front of the eye. A fine instrument is placed into the eye to rapidly remove the cataract using ultrasonic waves. The ultrasonic waves liquefy the cataract so that it can be easily aspirated from the eye.

After the cataract is completely removed, a tiny intraocular (IOL) lens is placed into the normal position of the natural lens to restore the focusing power of the eye. Because of the small incision size used in modern cataract surgery, sutures are almost never required. Most patients are able to resume most of their normal activities within a few days of their surgery. Recovery is usually complete in 3 to 4 weeks. Typically, antibiotic and anti-inflammatory drops are prescribed during the post-operative period to prevent infection and speed recovery. [Source: See link above. This is from the St. Cloud Eye Clinic in MN, a perfect name as cataracts make your sight very cloudy.]