What Is a Cataract?

A cataract is a clouding of the lens inside your eye. The lens sits behind your pupil and helps focus incoming light, so a loss of clarity can decrease sight.

Cataracts are mostly age-related, and are one of the most common causes of diminished vision. When you first develop a cataract, you may not notice any problems, but as it grows it can eventually interfere with daily activities.

Stanford Cataract Expertise

Our program offers all the features you need for leading cataract care:

• Top doctors: Our experienced doctors can examine your cataracts and help you decide when to pursue treatment. They not only provide successful outcomes for standard cataracts but also specialize in complex cases, receiving referrals from throughout California.
• Latest equipment: We offer all the tools needed to restore your vision:
  • Latest phacoemulsification ultrasound machines to break up cataracts
  • Sophisticated surgical microscopes with the best optics and light sources available
  • Optional Intraoperative aberrometry to help determine the best replacement lens
  • Optional CATALYS® femtosecond laser (developed by researchers with Stanford connections) to make precise cuts and pre-soften the lens
• Combined surgeries: Patients with cataracts often have other eye conditions, including glaucoma or problems with their cornea or retina. The expanded expertise of Stanford surgeons means that operations for these additional conditions might prove possible at the same time — a service not widely available elsewhere.
• One-stop shop: Our doctors also write prescriptions for new glasses or contact lenses, which you can then fill on-site.

Learn more about the Byers Eye Institute at Stanford, including our Eye Surgery Center.