Cataracts refer to clouding of the eye’s natural lens. This condition usually develops over the course of many years and thus mainly affects the elderly. However, in rare cases, cataracts may also occur at a young age or from birth.

In general, cataracts are part of the normal ageing process, meaning that all of us will develop them sooner or later.

Symptoms

Depending on the severity, opacity of the lens may produce the following symptoms::

• Increasing loss of visionNebelartiges, trübes Sehen
• Foggy, cloudy vision
• Reduced contrast sensitivity
• Increased susceptibility to glare (particularly tedious at night when driving a car)
• Colour vision deficiency
• Double vision

Treatment

To date, there are no effective drugs for treating cataracts. The only effective treatment is surgery, in which the eye’s clouded natural lens is replaced by a clear artificial lens.

Refractive lens surgery

Lens surgery can also be used to correct visual acuity. For example, this can be done in the course of cataract surgery.

Surgery techniques

Standard technique (phacoemulsification)

The cloudy lens is reduced in size by means of ultrasound and is then aspirated from the eye. The costs for this procedure are covered by the Swiss health insurance providers.

Femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery (FLACS)

Bei dieser modernen Methode werden Teilschritte der Operation nicht mehr von Hand, sondern mit einem With this modern technique, certain surgical steps are no longer performed by hand, but by means of a special laser. This makes the operation more precise and thereby protects the eye tissue.
However, the use of the laser is an additional service and is not covered by the Swiss health insurance providers.

Lens types

Patients can choose from a variety of different lens types. Prior to the procedure, it is important to be aware for the different options. We will be happy to discuss the options with you to help you select the right type of lens.

Standard lens
The standard lens is an artificial lens made from a flexible material, which is cut to the patient’s ideal focal length (monofocal). Patients can choose either a lens with good distance vision, or one with good reading vision.

However, this does not correct other types of vision disorders such as astigmatism or presbyopia. As a rule, this means that reading glasses or varifocals will still be necessary after cataract surgery.
The costs for the lens are covered by the Swiss health insurance providers.

Aspheric lens
Because of its special shape, this type of lens has the advantage of improving contrast vision.
The cost is not covered by the Swiss health insurance providers.

Toric lens
This type of lens can be used to correct astigmatism. Normally, glasses will then no longer be required for distance vision.
The cost for this type of lens is not covered by the Swiss health insurance providers.

Multifocal lens

This type of lens offers a high degree of freedom from glasses, both in terms of distance and near vision. The cost for this type of lens is not covered by the Swiss health insurance providers.