Cataract surgery today: An update

Cataracts represents one of the main causes of moderate to severe reversible vision impairment in the world, being an important public health problem in Chile. The only solution is to remove the cataract and implant an intraocular lens (IOL). The main risk factor for cataracts is age, which will lead to a progressive increase in prevalence due to the increase in life expectancy. There are several modifiable risk factors that can be intervened such as diabetes, arterial hypertension, smoking, uncontrolled use of systemic or topical corticosteroids, among others. Although the diagnosis is clinical, we must always perform a detailed study to rule out problems in other ocular structures that may be contributing to poor vision. This study will also allow us to better choose the most appropriate IOL for the patient. We must know the patient's needs and expectations after the surgery, especially if we plan to use toric IOLs, extended depth of focus or multifocal IOLs, which provide more spectacle independence than regular monofocal lenses. This review will describe the preoperative preparation, the technology used in an ultrasonic phacoemulsification surgery and the postoperative follow-up of the patient. Cataract surgery is one of the safest and cost-effective surgeries in modern medicine. More than 90% of the eyes achieve best corrected visual acuity of 20/25, and with the greater precision incorporated in new technologies more than 80% of the patients are left with +/-0,5 residual diopters, so that today we can offer personalized visual results according to specific patient needs.