Cataract Surgery

Cataract surgery at Emory Eye Center is more than a procedure—it’s a path back to clearer vision and greater confidence in your daily life.

Our nationally renowned team of cataract specialists is at the forefront of advanced surgical techniques, offering precise, personalized care with proven results. From your first consultation to your final follow-up, you’ll feel support and expertly cared for.

In cataract surgery, your doctor replaces your cloudy lens with a clear artificial lens called an intraocular lens (IOL). The procedure is relatively quick and effective. Our doctors use the innovative femtosecond cataract Bladeless LenSx® system for cataract surgery. This computer-controlled laser system is customized to give you the best results.

Surgery typically involves several steps. These include:

• You receive eye drops to numb the area around your eye. In rare cases, you may get general anesthesia to go to sleep.
• Your doctor makes a small cut in your cornea in the front of your eye. They insert a tiny probe that breaks up the cataract. Then they remove the cataract with a laser or ultrasound device. Your doctor implants an IOL (a small, clear artificial lens) in the same space where your natural lens was.
• Your doctor closes the incision in your cornea.

For most people, cataract surgery is not painful, and bleeding is rare. You usually don’t need an eye patch.

There are a few kinds of IOLs that take the place of your natural lens. These include:

• Monofocal: These are the standard lenses for cataracts. They don’t correct astigmatism or near vision. You may have to wear glasses or contact lenses.
• Toric: These lenses correct nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism. If you have astigmatism before surgery, toric lenses can improve your distance vision without glasses.
• Multifocal: Multifocal lenses help you see distant and near objects without wearing glasses. But they can slightly reduce the quality of your vision. Adapting to them can take time

The day after surgery, your doctor will examine your eye and schedule follow-up visits as needed. To help your eye heal, you will use a variety of eye drops. Usually this lasts about two to four weeks after surgery, depending on your condition.

You should be able to resume most normal activities within one or two days. Your vision usually is stable within two to three weeks. But cataract surgery won’t correct other vision problems. These include:

• Age-related macular degeneration     
• Glaucoma
• Keratoconus

If you had one of these conditions before surgery, your vision may not be completely normal after cataract surgery. So, you may need to wear glasses or contact lenses.

Emory’s Low Vision Clinic can also help. Or you can talk to your doctor about LASIK surgery to correct astigmatism, nearsightedness or farsightedness.

Eye doctors do cataract surgery on one eye at a time. If there are no complications, you typically can have surgery on your second eye one to six weeks later.

Cataract surgery is very safe and effective, but all surgeries have risks. Complications are rare but can occur.

Risks of cataract surgery include:

• Bleeding
• Detachment of the retina
• Drooping eyelid
• Eye inflammation or swelling
• High pressure in the eye Infection

Rare complications of cataract surgery include:

• Clouding of the part of the eye that holds the IOL in place
• Dislocation of the IOL
• Loss of vision

Talk with your eye doctor about potential risks and complications of cataract surgery.