What is a cataract? A cataract is when the natural lens within your eyes becomes cloudy and limits your vision. Often they are there and you may not know that they are present until your optician tells you. Why have I developed cataracts? Often this is due to aging and nothing more. However, other causes may include: A family history of cataracts Use of medications, such as steroids Injuries to the eye Are my family at risk of cataracts? Yes, cataracts can run in families but unfortunately, there isn’t any treatment to prevent them from happening just yet, so we wait until they affect your sight and then remove them through an operation. How do I treat cataracts? The only effective treatment for cataracts is an operation. The operation is generally undertaken under local anaesthetic so you are awake. However, the operation is generally quick and fairly straightforward, although complications can occur that impair your vision life-long. What happens at the preassessment appointment? At the preassessment, you will initially be greeted by our friendly reception staff. They will provide you with an information booklet which you can read whilst waiting for the nurse. Once the nurse calls you into their room, they will go through some medical history questions with you and measure your eyes for the lens we will use to replace your nature lens. Following dilating drops, a clinician will see you and assess your eyes again. You will have the opportunity to ask any questions at this stage before signing the consent form. Don’t worry, we are all here to help and signing a consent form does not mean you have to have the operation. It is just a record of the discussions you have had and confirmation of the eye that is having the operation. Do I have one eye done first or both together? We pretty much always do one eye first. The eye chosen depends on the discussions with you and the preassessment clinician. Generally, it will be your worst seeing eye, but it also depends on other medical conditions that affect your eyes. Can I use eyedrops for dry eyes and glaucoma? Yes, these can be used as well as the new drops you are given. Please use a new bottle and wait for at least 24 hours. What do I do if I run out of drops? Please contact your GP for a re-prescription of eye drops if you run out. When can I return to routine daily activities? If you have undergone a simple outpatient appointment and had dilated drops, depending on your job, most people can go back to daily routine if safe. If you have undergone a minor operation or laser, you should be able to go back to normal activities the next day. If you have had cataract surgery, we recommend you wait for healing to happen and this is usually 2 weeks, but please see below for more details. How do I put eyedrops in my eyes? We recognise that eyedrops are difficult to instil. Unfortunately, the bottles are manufactured to ensure the drops stay sterile and have a reasonable robust resistance to damage. Below is a guide to how drops can be instilled. If you still have difficulty you may wish to ask your pharmacist for a dropper aid. Instillation of Eye Drops Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water Check the dropper tip to make sure that it is not chipped or cracked Avoid touching the dropper tip against your eye or anything else; eye drops and droppers must be kept clean While tilting your head back, pull down the lower lid of your eye with your index finger to form a pocket Hold the dropper (tip down) with the other hand, as close to the eye as possible without touching it Brace the remaining fingers of that hand against your face Instil eye drops into your eye.