| Cataract surgery has been performed for many | | | | then had to wear very thick eye glasses, or a contact |
| years, and new developments have dramatically | | | | lens. As technology advanced, anterior chamber |
| improved the post-op vision. The lens is a normal | | | | Intraocular lenses(IOL) were developed. These were |
| structure of the internal part of the eye. We are all | | | | artificial lenses that were placed in front of the iris to |
| born with clear, natural lenses whose function is to | | | | replace the removed lens. They worked very well, but |
| focus light onto the retina, and also absorb dangerous | | | | over time the corneas were damaged in most of |
| wavelengths of light. Over time, this clear lens will | | | | these patients. These anterior chamber lenses vibrated |
| become yellow, as its chemical structure changes as a | | | | as a result of aqueous humor (fluid) flow from the |
| result of years of light absorption, and general oxidative | | | | back of the eye toward the front. These vibrations |
| stress on the body. | | | | over time damaged the endothelial (bottom) layer of |
| Early cataract surgery involved simply removing the | | | | the cornea resulting in swollen corneas, and cloudy |
| cloudy lens from the eye. In order to see, the patient | | | | vision. |