Cataract

This chapter focuses on cataract, which is the pathological opacification of the crystalline lens. Cataract is an important cause of visual impairment and blindness worldwide, in both developed and developing countries. Fortunately, acquired cataract is a reversible cause of visual impairment and, in developed countries, cataract surgery is the most commonly performed elective surgical procedure. This chapter outlines lens anatomy and embryology, along with clinical knowledge areas that include acquired cataract (clinical evaluation and treatment), intraoperative and post-operative (infectious and non-infectious) complications of cataract surgery, and lens dislocation. Practical skills, including biometry, local anaesthesia, implantation of intraocular lenses, and Nd:YAG laser capsulotomy, are also discussed.