MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia:Cataract surgery

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Cataract surgery - series: Procedure, part 2

Cataract surgery - seriesIllustrations:

Procedure, part 2

Another procedure is called phacoemulsification. This involves inserting a needle through a small incision on the eye. The end of the needle produces sound waves. The sound waves break up the lens, which is then sucked out through the needle. This procedure requires a smaller incision than the manual extraction procedure.

Update Date: 9/1/2006

Updated by: Manju Subramanian, MD, Assistant Professor in Ophthalmology, Vitreoretinal Disease and Surgery, Boston University Eye Associates, Boston, MA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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