Cataract Surgery at CritiCare Asia Hospitals, Andheri East, Mumbai
A cataract is a clouding of the eye's natural lens, and it builds slowly enough that people adapt without noticing. CritiCare Asia Hospitals in Andheri East is an eye hospital in Mumbai that plans cataract care so that tests, measurements and consultation are kept together wherever possible. Blurred vision starts to cost effort in reading, in night driving and in recognising faces across a room. No medicine or eye drop clears a cataract after it has formed. The only treatment is cataract surgery, in which the cloudy lens is replaced, and it ranks among the most commonly performed operations worldwide.
How a Cataract Forms
In a healthy eye, light goes through the cornea and lens and is focused on the retina, which passes the image to the brain. A clear lens keeps the image sharp. In a cataract, lens proteins clump and cloud it, so light scatters rather than focuses, like a frosted window.
Ageing is the usual cause. Others include:
- Age: lens proteins alter gradually over decades
- Diabetes: cataracts tend to appear sooner
- Steroids used for a long time, as tablets, drops or inhalers
- Eye injury, inflammation or earlier eye surgery
- UV exposure and smoking
A cataract cannot be reversed. UV-blocking sunglasses, stopping smoking, and controlling diabetes may slow it. Consult eye specialists in Andheri East for cataract evaluation.
Symptoms of Cataract
Early signs pass for tired eyes or a weak prescription. Later, they are harder to miss:
- Misty vision that blinking does not clear
- Glare and halos around headlights and sunlight
- Colours that look faded or yellow
- Poor sight in dim light
- Glasses that need changing often
When Is Surgery Needed?
There is no fixed moment. The question is whether the cataract interferes with reading, work, driving or recognising faces. Earlier surgery may be advised if the cataract makes it hard to examine or treat another eye condition, such as diabetic retinopathy.
When only one eye is affected, and the other sees well, waiting is sometimes reasonable. Even so, the mismatch can upset depth perception, and a cataract left to mature tends to be denser and harder to remove. The decision on cataract removal surgery follows an examination.
Surgery and Lens Options
The standard technique is phacoemulsification. An ultrasound probe, passed through a tiny incision, breaks the clouded lens into fragments that are suctioned out. A foldable intraocular lens (IOL) is placed in the same space through the same opening. Femtosecond laser-assisted surgery is a separate technique used at some centres. Very dense cataracts may need a larger incision.
The lens determines your vision afterwards:
- Monofocal
sharp at one distance, usually far, so reading glasses are typically still needed - Toric
corrects astigmatism along with the cataract - Multifocal or extended depth-of-focus
reduces dependence on glasses at more than one distance, with some glare or halos at night in certain patients
Many current lenses are aspheric, which is meant to improve contrast in dim light. The lens is selected with the surgeon during the pre-operative consultation, so nothing is left to decide on the day.
The Surgical Journey
- Before surgery
Examination confirms the cataract and checks the rest of the eye. Measurements of length and curvature set the implant power. Diabetes and blood pressure are brought under control, and a full list of medicines is given to the surgeon, since a few affect pupil behaviour during the operation. Antibiotic drops may begin beforehand. Written instructions for the day are provided in advance, so there is little to arrange at the last minute. - During surgery
The eye is numbed with drops or an injection, and the patient stays awake but comfortable. The incision is usually small enough to seal without stitches. It is commonly a day-care procedure. - After surgery
A protective shield is worn at first. Drops for infection and inflammation are used as prescribed. Avoid rubbing the eye, keep water and dust out, and skip heavy lifting while it heals. Vision often improves within days and settles over a longer period, and a glasses check follows after healing. Follow-up visits are part of recovery, and they are planned so they fit around work.
Risks and realistic outcomes
Cataract surgery is generally safe, but no operation is risk-free. Complications can include infection, inflammation, raised eye pressure, swelling at the centre of the retina and, rarely, retinal detachment or a displaced lens. A common later change is clouding of the membrane behind the lens, treated with a short outpatient laser procedure. It does not mean the surgery failed. Glaucoma, macular degeneration, or diabetic retinopathy can limit how sharp vision becomes, which is why clear vision cannot be promised in every case.
Cataract Surgery at CritiCare Asia Hospitals, Andheri East, Mumbai
The process begins with a full examination rather than a decision to operate. The ophthalmology team assesses how much the cataract affects daily life, checks the retina and optic nerve for other conditions that could influence the result, and takes the measurements required to choose a lens. Lens type and what to expect about glasses afterwards are discussed before a date is set, and follow-up is planned within the same pathway so that visits stay few and predictable. If blurred vision is getting in the way of reading, driving, or recognising faces, schedule an evaluation with cataract specialists in Andheri East at CritiCare Asia Hospitals.