{"id":31423,"date":"2025-04-09T13:57:37","date_gmt":"2025-04-09T11:57:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/eyelaser.at\/cataract-cataract-when-to-operate-at-the-latest\/"},"modified":"2025-08-07T23:03:54","modified_gmt":"2025-08-07T21:03:54","slug":"cataract-cataract-when-to-operate-at-the-latest","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/eyelaser.at\/en\/cataract-cataract-when-to-operate-at-the-latest\/","title":{"rendered":"Cataract (cataract): When to operate at the latest?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Cataracts<\/strong> are one of the most common age-related eye diseases – and can now be completely corrected in most cases with a short, high-precision operation<\/strong>. But many people hesitate: When is the right time? And when should you have the operation at the latest? <\/em><\/p>\n\n

In this article, you will find out which symptoms of cataracts indicate an urgent operation<\/strong>, the risks of waiting too long<\/strong> and which modern lens and surgical methods<\/strong> are available today. For anyone who wants to regain<\/strong> their sight<\/strong> – safely, sustainably and at the right time. <\/p>\n\n

Cataracts – when is an operation really necessary? <\/h2>\n\n

A cataract<\/strong> is an age-related clouding of the lens of the eye<\/strong> that occurs in many people over the course of their lives<\/strong> – usually from the age of 60. The clouding of the lens<\/strong> means that light rays<\/strong> can no longer be clearly focused on the retina<\/strong>. The result: vision gradually deteriorates<\/strong>, colors appear duller, contrasts weaker and glare – for example when driving – increases. <\/p>\n\n

Surgery is always necessary<\/strong> if the clouding of the cataract<\/strong> affects daily life<\/strong>. There is no fixed time frame<\/strong> that applies to everyone – the right time for surgery<\/strong> varies from person to person and depends on the degree of visual impairment<\/strong>, personal feelings<\/strong> and life circumstances<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n

In most cases<\/strong>, the patient decides together with the ophthalmologist<\/strong> whether and when the procedure makes sense<\/strong>. The aim of the operation is to remove the clouded lens<\/strong> and replace it with an artificial lens<\/strong> – in order to improve vision in the long term<\/strong> and enable the patient to live without glasses or with fewer glasses<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n

Is there no other way to cure the symptoms of cataracts? <\/h3>\n\n

Unfortunately, no – the only effective treatment for cataracts<\/strong> is surgical removal of the clouded lens<\/strong>. Medication, drops or alternative treatment methods cannot stop or reverse<\/strong> the progression<\/strong>. Although the symptoms can often be alleviated at the beginning with adapted glasses<\/strong> or contact lenses<\/strong>, this only works for a while. <\/p>\n\n

As the clouding of the lens<\/strong> progresses, visual acuity<\/strong> increasingly deteriorates – reading, recognizing faces or driving at night<\/strong> becomes more difficult. At this stage, visual aids are no longer sufficient<\/strong> because the light in the eye no longer reaches the retina<\/strong> clearly through the cloudy lens<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n

Symptoms of cataracts that suggest surgery <\/h2>\n\n

Many people hardly notice the signs of cataracts<\/strong> at first. The clouding of the lens of the eye<\/strong>often progresses slowly – and is therefore compensated for a long time. However, at a certain point, it significantly impairs everyday vision<\/strong>. At this point at the latest, an operation<\/strong> should be seriously considered<\/strong> – when exactly this is depends on various factors. <\/p>\n\n

You should look out for these symptoms:<\/h3>\n\n
    \n
  • Blurred vision<\/strong>, despite glasses or contact lenses<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Aperture sensitivity<\/strong>, especially with backlighting or when driving at night<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Difficulty reading<\/strong>, despite adapted reading glasses<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Washed-out colors<\/strong>, weak contrast and increasing gray haze<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Frequent change of glasses<\/strong> without noticeable improvement in vision quality<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Double vision in one eye<\/strong> (monocular diplopia)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Feeling that your eyesight is “always failing”<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n

    You should have cataract surgery by then at the latest<\/h2>\n\n

    An intervention should take place at the latest when:<\/p>\n\n

      \n
    • Road safety<\/strong> is no longer guaranteed – e.g. due to glare or poor twilight vision<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Tripping hazards or falls<\/strong> increase due to poorer spatial perception<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Reading ability<\/strong> is severely limited even with reading glasses<\/strong> <\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Everyday life becomes tedious<\/strong> because the glasses are no longer sufficient<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • The ophthalmologist determines during the examination that the lens opacity is far advanced<\/strong> <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n

      Although cataracts are not an emergency in most cases, waiting too long can make the procedure more difficult<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n

      Risks if you wait too long to have cataract surgery<\/h3>\n\n

      Even if cataracts<\/strong> progress slowly and can be treated well in most cases, waiting too long<\/strong> before undergoing surgery<\/strong> carries certain risks<\/strong> – both for your eyesight<\/strong> and for the course of the procedure itself<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n

      Possible consequences of late intervention:<\/h4>\n\n
        \n
      • Severe hardening of the lens<\/strong>An overripe lens becomes denser and more difficult to remove<\/strong>, which makes<\/strong>the operation more technically demanding<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • Increased risk of complications<\/strong>These include, for example, tears in the lens capsule<\/strong>, delayed healing<\/strong> or a slightly increased risk of inflammation<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • Longer recovery time<\/strong>Wound healing may be slower<\/strong> and vision may return later<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • Secondary problems caused by poor vision<\/strong>More accidents due to falls<\/strong>, orientation difficulties<\/strong> or restrictions when driving<\/strong> – especially in old age.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • Difficult retinal diagnostics<\/strong>If the lens is very cloudy, the ophthalmologist<\/strong> can no longer examine the retina accurately<\/strong> – which can mask any other eye diseases.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n

        Even if there is no such thing as “too late” in the classic medical sense, cataract surgery<\/strong> should not be delayed unnecessarily<\/strong> if visual acuity is deteriorating significantly<\/strong>. An early decision not only ensures easier surgical conditions<\/strong>, but also better results and a faster return to clear vision.<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n

        Types of cataract surgery at a glance<\/h2>\n\n

        Today, cataract surgery<\/strong> is a highly precise, minimally invasive routine procedure. The cloudy natural lens<\/strong> is removed<\/strong> and replaced with an artificial lens (intraocular lens, or IOL for short)<\/strong>. It is not only the technique of the procedure that is decisive for the result, but also the choice of the right artificial lens –<\/strong>because it determines how well and at what distances you can see afterwards<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n

        1. standard surgery with monofocal lens<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n
          \n
        • The most common and proven variant<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        • Enables clear vision at a distance<\/strong> – mostly in the distance<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        • Reading glasses<\/strong> are still required for close-up work.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        • Cash benefit in many countries.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n

          2. multifocal lens – for vision at several distances<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n
            \n
          • Has several focal points<\/strong> for near, far and intermediate areas<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
          • Goal: freedom from glasses<\/strong> in everyday life.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
          • May cause halos or glare at night<\/strong> – not suitable for everyone.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
          • Requires very precise measurement of the eye<\/strong> and good optic nerve function.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n

            3rd EDOF lens (Extended Depth of Focus) – the modern center<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n
              \n
            • Extends the focus range<\/strong> without clear jumps between distances.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
            • Particularly suitable for good distance and intermediate<\/strong> vision (e.g. screen).<\/li>\n\n\n\n
            • Less glare or light circles<\/strong> than with classic multifocal lenses.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
            • Close range usually supplemented with simple reading glasses<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n

              4. femtosecond laser instead of manual cutting<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n
                \n
              • In femto-cataract surgery<\/strong>, the opening incision of the lens is not<\/strong> performed<\/strong> manually<\/strong>, but with a laser<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
              • Advantages: maximum precision<\/strong>, less energy input into the eye<\/strong>, potentially faster recovery<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
              • Ideal for high demands<\/strong>, difficult anatomy or the desire for premium lenses<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

                Cataracts are one of the most common age-related eye diseases – and can now be completely corrected in most cases…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":30614,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[210],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-31423","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-knowledge-about-the-eye"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/eyelaser.at\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31423","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/eyelaser.at\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/eyelaser.at\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eyelaser.at\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eyelaser.at\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=31423"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/eyelaser.at\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31423\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eyelaser.at\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/30614"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/eyelaser.at\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=31423"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eyelaser.at\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=31423"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eyelaser.at\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=31423"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}