What is cataract?
Cataract is a partial or total cloudiness of the natural human lens. Human lens is a part of the eye responsible for clear and glass free vision for near and far during the most part of life.
Cataract diagnostics
Cataract is easily diagnosed during regular ophthalmic exam, when pupils are dilated.
Our specialists
Prof. dr Nikica Gabrić, dr med.
Ophthalmologist
Mr sc.Bojan Kozomara dr med.
Ophthalmologist
Ernesta Potkonjak, dr med.
Ophthalmologist
Nebojša Đogatović, dr med.
Ophthalmologist
Sanja Savičić, dr med.
Ophthalmologist
Ana Aničić, dr med.
Ophthalmologist
Miloš Milićević, dr med.
Ophthalmologist
Vladimir Račić, dr med.
Ophthalmology Resident
Borjana Solomun, dr med.
Ophthalmology Resident
Dajana Abdulaj, dr med.
Ophthalmology Resident
Tamara Bojanić Barić, dr med
Ophthalmology Resident
What our patients say
Frequently asked questions
Here you can find frequently asked questions by our patients. If there are things that we did not answered for you, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
How cataract develops?
With aging, and consequent change in the human metabolism, partial or total cloudiness of the natural lens occurs. It is well known that the cataract is one of the commonest eye diseases in patients who are 70 years or older. However, lens cloudiness is not only attributed to the old people; it can occur in any age, even with the newborns. The first symptom of cataract is the decrease of far vision, especially in the bright light conditions. Patients usually describe this as fogginess in front of one or both eyes. With time, vision becomes even worse up to the point where the patient cannot function normally.
Cataract can also form after the eye trauma, with long topical corticosteroid application, as well as with other eye conditions (glaucoma, uveitis). It can also be present in some hereditary syndromes, like Down’s syndrome.
With aging, and consequent change in the human metabolism, partial or total cloudiness of the natural lens occurs. It is well known that the cataract is one of the commonest eye diseases in patients who are 70 years or older. However, lens cloudiness is not only attributed to the old people; it can occur in any age, even with the newborns. The first symptom of cataract is the decrease of far vision, especially in the bright light conditions. Patients usually describe this as fogginess in front of one or both eyes. With time, vision becomes even worse up to the point where the patient cannot function normally.
Cataract can also form after the eye trauma, with long topical corticosteroid application, as well as with other eye conditions (glaucoma, uveitis). It can also be present in some hereditary syndromes, like Down’s syndrome.
How is cataract treated?
At one time, cataract was extracted with intra capsular or extra capsular cataract extraction techniques (ICCE, ECCE). These techniques often caused significant eye trauma, poor postoperative results, and high astigmatism due to corneal sutures. Furthermore, surgery time was more than one hour, and patients had to be hospitalized for about 10 days postoperatively.
Modern approach to cataract surgery, better known as phacoemulsification (ultrasound cataract procedure), greatly simplified the whole process, shortened postoperative recovery time, and enabled outstanding visual acuity results a few days after the surgery.
Phacoemulsification today is one of the safest and most performed surgical procedures in ophthalmology.
The whole process is done under topical anesthesia through small clear corneal incision that has no more than 2.2 mm in width. Clouded natural lens is removed with phaco probe and new, clear intraocular lens implanted through the same incision. As the incision itself is small, it is self-sealing and does not require any corneal sutures. The patients leaves the clinic immediately after the procedure, with postoperative recovery of no more than 5-7 days. Topical antibiotic therapy is to be used for about a week. According to the type of intraocular lens, patient will use only reading glasses (monofocal intraocular lenses), or no glasses at all (multifocal/trifocal intraocular lenses).
At one time, cataract was extracted with intra capsular or extra capsular cataract extraction techniques (ICCE, ECCE). These techniques often caused significant eye trauma, poor postoperative results, and high astigmatism due to corneal sutures. Furthermore, surgery time was more than one hour, and patients had to be hospitalized for about 10 days postoperatively.
Modern approach to cataract surgery, better known as phacoemulsification (ultrasound cataract procedure), greatly simplified the whole process, shortened postoperative recovery time, and enabled outstanding visual acuity results a few days after the surgery.
Phacoemulsification today is one of the safest and most performed surgical procedures in ophthalmology.
The whole process is done under topical anesthesia through small clear corneal incision that has no more than 2.2 mm in width. Clouded natural lens is removed with phaco probe and new, clear intraocular lens implanted through the same incision. As the incision itself is small, it is self-sealing and does not require any corneal sutures. The patients leaves the clinic immediately after the procedure, with postoperative recovery of no more than 5-7 days. Topical antibiotic therapy is to be used for about a week. According to the type of intraocular lens, patient will use only reading glasses (monofocal intraocular lenses), or no glasses at all (multifocal/trifocal intraocular lenses).