Cataracts are one of the vision problems that most affects people over 60 years of age and can only be treated definitively through surgery. Currently, this procedure is one of the most performed surgeries in the ophthalmological environment and is usually used on one eye at a time. The duration of cataract operation may vary depending on the technique used and the conditions of the patient's eyeball.

En Área Oftalmológica Avanzada we have a team of doctors experts in the use of new technologies to perform cataract surgery. For this reason we explain below how long the cataract operation lasts and what factors can make it lengthen.

How long does the cataract operation take?

Cataracts is the opacity of crystalline product of aging. This condition causes blurred vision and progressively worsens.

When the symptoms do not incapacitate the person's daily life, it can be treated through the use of glasses and contact lenses. However, when a person with cataracts is unable to perform daily activities such as driving or reading, the operation presents itself as the only option to treat this problem permanently.

There are currently two techniques used to correct cataracts definitively. Depending on the surgery that is performed, the duration of cataract operation can be larger or smaller. We explain what each of these procedures consists of and their duration:

• Phacoemulsification: At present it is the most used method to operate cataracts. It consists of the dissolution of the opaque lens using ultrasound equipment. Once we extract the crystalline lens, we place an intraocular lens in its place. Phacoemulsification has a 15 minutes duration.
• Extracapsular cataract surgery: The doctor will completely remove the lens and keep the structure of the eye intact. This operation lasts approximately 30 minutes.

What can make cataract surgery last longer?

La cataract operation, like any other surgical intervention, suggests certain risks, such as excessive bleeding during the procedure or a possible post-intervention infection.

El excessive bleeding It is one of the factors that can make the cataract operation take longer than normal, since it prevents the surgeon from clearly seeing the area to be treated. To avoid this, it is important that the patient does not take anticoagulant medications for the time indicated by the ophthalmologist before surgery.

Another complication that can lengthen a cataract operation is rupture of the lens capsule. When this happens, it may be difficult for the surgeon to dissolve and remove the entire lens correctly, increasing the risk that the patient will need a second intervention in the future.

Fortunately, both complications are very unlikely and can be largely avoided if the patient goes to a professional ophthalmology center. Being treated by a team of doctors who are experts in handling new equipment and technologies is undoubtedly the best decision to prevent complications during cataract surgery.

If your eye specialist considers that you should undergo this intervention, in Área Oftalmológica Avanzada we explain what you need to know about this procedure in our articles How is the cataract operation y Risks of cataract surgery.