Age-related vision loss: cataract

Abstract

Cataract is a major cause of vision loss in the aging population, impacting on patients’ quality of life and affecting their ability to engage and interact with their environment, as well as function independently. This review addresses issues regarding age-related cataract and its management, with a focus on those issues important to the nonophthalmologist. This includes the pathogenesis of cataracts, common referral criteria and basic aspects of surgical management, including complications, types of anesthesia and the use of different intraocular lenses. Good communication between the referring physician and cataract surgeon is key to optimizing surgical outcomes by identifying systemic comorbidities at the time of diagnosis that require management prior to elective surgical intervention, and to reduce the risk of both ocular and nonocular complications.