Outlook Positive for Today's Cataract Patients

Course overview

Cataracts develop as part of the aging process. By age 80, more than half of all Americans either have a cataract or have had cataract surgery. Cataracts are the leading cause of blindness worldwide and an important cause of blindness and visual impairment in the U.S. Cataracts develop earlier in developing countries, and the cataract surgical rates are lower, resulting in a higher prevalence of cataracts. Cataract is an opacity of the crystalline lens. The lens is a delicate structure, and any insult on it causes the absorption of water, resulting in the lens becoming opaque. Modern cataract surgery is a very safe procedure regardless of which extraction technique is used, though it is not exempt of complications. Nurses make a difference in the lives of patients with cataracts, from educating them about how to reduce their risk of developing cataracts to caring for them after cataract surgery, optimizing patient care, comfort, and satisfaction.