Richard Hart

Dr Richard Hart, providing Cataract Surgery in Auckland , New Zealand.

The following description is a generic description for the category and does not necessarily reference all the services/ procedures offered by Dr Richard Hart.

A medical specialist who undertakes Cataract Surgery is called a Ophthalmologist (eye specialist). As people age, the lens of the eye can become ‘cloudy’, covered with an opaque film, affecting sight, eventually causing total loss of sight. Cataract surgery involves removal of the entire clouded lens (the cataract), usually followed by replacement of the lens with an intraocular lens (IOL) made of plastic, silicone, acrylic or other material. The operation typically takes about an hour, is done under local anaesthetic only, and may be done as an outpatient procedure. Normally, the ophthalmologist (eye specialist) makes a very small incision and inserts an ultrasonic tip which, vibrating at high speed, breaks up the cataract without damaging surrounding tissue. The remains of the cataract are then suctioned out.