The most effective vision surgery that exists.

Common signs include clouded or blurred vision, faded or yellowed colours, glare or halos around lights (especially at night), and difficulty reading or doing detailed work despite adequate lighting. Only an eye examination can confirm the diagnosis. Many people have early cataracts without noticeable symptoms.

No. Cataract surgery is performed on one eye at a time, usually with a few days’ spacing. This allows your vision to improve in the first eye while the second eye heals, and also ensures we have full information from the first eye before optimising the target refraction for the second eye.

Mild cataract that doesn’t interfere with daily life can safely be monitored. Cataract doesn’t “ripen” or reach a critical stage that requires urgent surgery — that’s an old concept. Surgery is recommended when your vision loss is bothering you and affecting your life, not at a predetermined cataract density.

Yes, if your IOL is set for distance vision. A standard monofocal lens is optimised for clear distance sight, and close work requires reading glasses, just as it did before. This is fine for many patients.

Multifocal, trifocal, and EDOF lenses reduce or eliminate dependence on reading glasses by providing good vision at multiple distances. However, they involve trade-offs: some glare or halos (usually temporary) and slightly reduced contrast sensitivity. Not every patient wants these trade-offs.

Multifocal lenses have distinct focal zones (distance, near, sometimes intermediate). Your eye sees through whichever zone is relevant, and the brain integrates the image. EDOF lenses create a continuous range of focus with less glare but require careful refraction targeting. Both reduce glasses dependence; the choice depends on your preferences and your eyes’ individual characteristics.

No. The procedure is performed under topical anaesthetic drops. You feel no pain, only light pressure and the sensation of the surgical microscope light. If you experience actual pain during surgery, tell the surgeon immediately.

Visual recovery is often dramatic — many patients see clearly by the next morning. Full stabilisation of refraction takes about one to two weeks. Topical drops are continued for two to three weeks. You can resume normal daily activities immediately, with the exception of heavy lifting or strenuous exercise (usually cleared at two weeks) and getting water in the eye (usually cleared at one week).

No. Once the clouded lens is removed and replaced with an IOL, cataract cannot redevelop in that eye. The IOL itself never clouds. However, posterior capsular opacification (PCO) — cloudiness of the membrane behind the IOL — can develop in some patients months or years later, but this is easily treated with a simple laser procedure.

Cataract surgery is an opportunity to correct astigmatism in the same procedure using a toric IOL. This is often recommended because it gives you clear distance vision without astigmatism, reducing dependence on glasses. Your ophthalmologist will discuss whether a toric IOL suits your prescription.

Yes. Cataract surgery allows precise targeting of your post-operative refraction. Many patients use the opportunity to correct a longtime refractive error that they’ve accepted for years. You can choose distance focus, or a slight undercorrection in one eye to preserve some near vision (monovision). The choice is yours.

This is rare — the vast majority of cataract surgeries result in significantly improved vision. However, if another eye condition (like macular degeneration or diabetic retinopathy) is also limiting your vision, that condition will limit your improvement even after cataract surgery. This is determined during the pre-operative examination and discussed honestly.