Cataract Surgery Myths

In many homes across Dombivli, Kalyan and Ambernath, the same advice gets passed around: “Wait, let the motibindu mature first.” Advice like this has kept many people living with blurred vision for years longer than they needed to. Cataract surgery today is quick, precise and one of the safest operations in medicine. Here are seven common myths, and the facts.

First, what is a cataract?

A cataract is the clouding of the natural lens inside your eye. It is not a film growing over the eye. As the lens becomes cloudy, vision becomes blurred, colours look faded, lights at night cause glare, and reading needs brighter light. The only effective treatment is surgery, where the cloudy lens is replaced with a clear artificial lens (IOL).

Myth 1: “Cataract must mature before it can be operated”

Fact: This belief comes from decades ago, when older techniques worked better on hard, mature cataracts. Modern surgery, including laser-assisted cataract surgery, can be done as soon as the cataract starts affecting your daily life. In fact, waiting too long can make the cataract harder and the surgery more complex.

Simple rule: if blurred vision is affecting reading, driving, cooking, walking safely or recognising faces, it is time to see a cataract specialist.

Myth 2: “Cataract surgery is painful and needs an injection”

Fact: At Isha Netralaya, no-injection, no-stitch cataract surgery is done using numbing eye drops. With AI-guided femtosecond laser-assisted surgery, the procedure takes around 5 to 10 minutes per eye, and most patients feel little more than mild pressure.

Myth 3: “Recovery takes months and you must lie flat”

Fact: Most patients see clearly within 24 to 48 hours and resume normal daily activities within a few days. There is no need to lie flat for weeks. You will use eye drops for a few weeks and avoid rubbing the eye, swimming, and dust or smoke for a short time.

Myth 4: “Eye drops or diet can dissolve a cataract”

Fact: No eye drop, tablet or home remedy has been proven to dissolve a cataract. A healthy diet, sunglasses and controlling diabetes are good for your eyes, but once a cataract is affecting your vision, surgery is the answer.

Myth 5: “Both eyes are operated together”

Fact: In most cases, one eye is operated first and the second eye a few days or weeks later, once the first eye has settled. Your surgeon will plan this with you.

Myth 6: “You will need thick glasses after surgery”

Fact: Thick “cataract glasses” belong to the past. Today, the artificial lens corrects most of your vision. Depending on the lens you choose (monofocal, toric, multifocal or EDOF), you may need only reading glasses, or very little dependence on glasses at all.

Myth 7: “Diabetics cannot have cataract surgery”

Fact: People with diabetes commonly have cataract surgery. Your doctor will check your sugar levels and your retina before surgery. Controlled sugar helps healing.

Signs it is time for a check-up

• Blurred or cloudy vision, like looking through a foggy window
• Faded colours
• Glare or halos around headlights at night
• Needing brighter light to read
• Frequent changes in spectacle power
• Double vision in one eye

Cataract care close to home

Isha Netralaya has centres in Dombivli East, Kalyan (Karnik Road), Kalyan (Khadakpada) and Ambernath East, so parents do not need to travel to Mumbai for expert care. We offer:

• Bladeless femtosecond laser cataract surgery with the Argos AI image-guided system
• Premium lens options: monofocal, toric, multifocal, EDOF and multifocal toric
• Cashless treatment with leading insurers and CGHS
• A team of 35+ super-specialists and 2 lakh+ eye surgeriesover 25+ years