What Is a Cataract?

How Common Are Cataracts?

Nearly everyone will eventually have cataracts. Estimates differ because not all who are affected seek treatment, but current research indicates that by age seventy-five at least 70 percent of Americans either have had cataract surgery or cannot see well because of cataracts. You'll likely begin to notice cataract-related vision problems in your early to mid-sixties.

Cataract surgery is the most common surgical procedure in the United States. Some 3 million Americans have cataract surgery every year, often in an outpatient procedure that takes less than ten to fifteen minutes. The surgeon replaces the clouded natural lens with a clear synthetic lens through a tiny incision. These procedures nearly always succeed in greatly improving the patient's vision, with almost no interruption in daily activities.

How Do Cataracts Affect the Eyes? »