Cataract Surgery in Lahore: What You Need to Know

What Is a Cataract (Safaid Motia)?

A cataract is a cloudy area in the natural lens inside your eye. Many people call it safaid motia (سفید موتیا). It can affect one or both eyes.

Common signs and symptoms of cataracts

Cataracts usually start slowly. You may notice blurry vision, glare or halos around lights, poor night vision and faded colours. However, other eye problems cause similar signs, so only an eye exam can tell.

Why cataracts develop

Most cataracts come with age. Diabetes, long-term steroid medicines, eye injury and earlier eye surgery can bring them on sooner.

Is kala motia the same as safaid motia?

No. Safaid motia means cataract, but kala motia is commonly used for glaucoma, a different disease that damages the nerve at the back of the eye and needs separate treatment. Some websites mix up the names, so ask your doctor which condition you have.

When Do You Need Cataract Surgery?

When cataracts affect daily life and when surgery can wait

Doctors usually suggest surgery when a cataract stops you doing daily things, such as reading, driving or recognising faces. If it does not bother you yet, waiting is often safe. Surgery may also help the doctor see the back of your eye. Vision can keep getting worse, so check-ups matter.

Can glasses, medicines or eye exercises treat cataracts?

Early cataract treatment is mostly about managing symptoms, since glasses and brighter light may help. However, surgery is the only established way to remove a cataract. No eye drop, medicine or exercise clears a cloudy lens.

Eye Tests Before Cataract Surgery

Eye examination and lens measurements (biometry)

If surgery is likely, you will need a full eye exam, often with drops that widen your pupil. The doctor also takes eye measurements, such as the length of your eye and the curve of your cornea. This is called biometry. It helps choose the right power for your artificial lens.

Cataract surgery with diabetes, glaucoma or other eye problems

If you have diabetes or glaucoma, this eye check matters even more. Diabetes can make cataracts develop faster, and your retina, the light-sensing layer at the back of the eye, needs checking before and after surgery. Tell your surgeon about glaucoma and earlier eye surgery too. The clinic's services include diabetic retinopathy and glaucoma care.

Phaco Cataract Surgery and Lens Options

How phacoemulsification (phaco surgery) works

After the tests, the surgeon plans the operation. Phaco is the most common modern method. A tiny cut is made, ultrasound energy breaks the cloudy lens into small pieces, and suction removes them. A clear artificial lens then goes in.

Other methods, including laser-assisted cataract surgery

Some centres use a laser for early steps of the operation. The American Academy of Ophthalmology found that laser-assisted and standard phaco surgery give similarly safe and accurate results, and the laser can cost more. Other manual methods exist, and your surgeon decides what suits your eye. Cataract surgery is not LASIK, which reshapes the cornea.

Choosing an artificial lens (IOL): monofocal, toric and other options

You and your surgeon will talk about which artificial lens, called an IOL, suits your eye health and vision needs. A monofocal lens gives the sharpest sight at one distance, usually far, so you will probably still need reading glasses. A toric lens also corrects astigmatism, where the front of your eye is shaped unevenly, which can blur vision at all distances. Multifocal and extended-depth lenses aim to widen your range of sight, but some people notice glare, halos or weaker contrast at night, as the American Academy of Ophthalmology explains. Ask which lenses are offered.

What Happens on Cataract Surgery Day?

Anaesthesia and what you may feel

You are usually awake, and your eye is numbed with drops or an injection. Most people feel little or no pain, though you may feel pressure or touch. You may see light and shadows, but not the instruments clearly.

The procedure and how long it takes

Before the operation, drops widen your pupil, and your eye is numbed, cleaned and covered. The cloudy lens is then removed and the new lens is placed. The NHS says the operation usually takes 20 to 45 minutes, and the whole visit takes longer.

Going home and treatment for both eyes

Most people go home the same day, but someone should take you. If both eyes have cataracts, they are usually done on separate days, so the first eye can heal. Your surgeon decides the gap.

Recovery After Cataract Surgery

Eye drops, protection and daily activities

After the operation, use your eye drops exactly as told, often for about four weeks. Do not rub your eye, keep water and dust out, and wear the eye shield or sunglasses as advised. Avoid heavy lifting, swimming and eye make-up until your surgeon says it is safe.

When vision improves and whether you may need glasses

Your sight may look fuzzy at first, which is common while your eye heals. It often improves over the first days, though full healing can take about eight weeks. You may need new glasses afterwards, often for reading, depending on your lens.

Follow-up care after surgery

You will usually have check-ups to make sure your eye is healing, and your surgeon sets the dates. Keep every visit, even if your eye feels fine.

Cataract Surgery Risks and Warning Signs

Possible complications

Cataract surgery is still an operation, so it carries risks. These include swelling, bleeding, infection, raised eye pressure, double vision, retinal detachment and, rarely, serious vision loss. Some problems are easy to treat, but others can threaten sight, so a new problem needs a prompt check.

Can cloudiness return after cataract surgery?

Your cataract does not grow back, because the lens is removed. However, the thin bag holding your new lens can turn hazy months or years later. A quick laser treatment can usually clear this, called posterior capsule opacification.

When to seek urgent medical help

Some changes are urgent. If you notice sudden loss of vision, severe pain, a very red eye, new floaters, flashes of light or a dark curtain over your sight, you need an eye doctor to check you immediately. Do not wait for the clinic to open or for a WhatsApp reply. Go to the nearest eye emergency or hospital now. The clinic offers emergency eye care only during its opening hours.

Cataract Surgery Cost in Pakistan: What Affects Prices in Lahore?

Many people ask about cost next. Your actual price depends on the treatment planned and on what the quotation includes, as the next sections explain.

What affects cataract surgery cost?

Several things change the price: the lens you choose, the surgical method, the place of surgery, the surgeon's fee, your tests, and the medicines and visits afterwards. For example, a premium lens or a laser option usually costs more than a basic one.

What your cost estimate should include

Quotes can differ because they include different things, so check what an estimate covers. It should say whether it includes the consultation and tests, surgery, facility, anaesthesia, lens, eye drops and follow-up visits, and whether the price is for one eye or both.

Questions to ask before paying

Before paying, request a written, itemised estimate and find out what it leaves out, including extra treatment.

Cataract Consultation With Dr. Kashif Jahangir

For advice on your own eyes, you can see Dr. Kashif Jahangir. He has MBBS and FCPS qualifications and is Associate Professor of Ophthalmology, Unit I, AIMC. The clinic lists phaco cataract surgery among its services.

Eye assessment at Khalid Eye & Medical Care

At the clinic you can have your eyes examined and your cataract assessed. Bring your glasses, medicine list and old eye reports. Khalid Eye & Medical Care is at Block C Commercial Area, Jubilee Town, Lahore. It is open Monday to Friday 6 to 9 PM and Saturday 5 to 7 PM, and closed on Sunday. To book, call +92 322 4021676 or WhatsApp.

Where would cataract surgery take place?

Your assessment takes place at the Jubilee Town clinic, but an operation may happen at a different facility. Before you arrange surgery, confirm which facility will be used, who will operate and who will provide aftercare.

How to Choose a Cataract Surgeon in Lahore

Questions to ask before choosing a surgeon

Wherever you go, choose your surgeon carefully. Check PMDC registration and training, and ask how often the surgeon operates on cataracts, which method and lens suit your eye, and what happens if there is a complication. Be careful with anyone who promises 100% success or a cure without surgery.

Planning your visit if you live outside Lahore

If you live outside Lahore, plan ahead. Bring a companion, allow enough time nearby for your first check-up, and send your questions by WhatsApp before you travel.

Frequently Asked Questions About Cataract Surgery

Can children develop cataracts?

Yes, though it is uncommon. A child may be born with a cataract or develop one later. A white or cloudy pupil, or poor vision, needs an eye doctor's check soon.

Can cataract surgery also treat glaucoma or diabetic eye disease?

Surgery treats the cloudy lens, not glaucoma or diabetic eye disease. However, it can lower eye pressure in some people, and combined cataract and glaucoma operations exist. The effect depends on your eye, so you still need proper glaucoma or diabetes care.

Does previous LASIK affect cataract surgery?

Yes. LASIK changes the shape of the cornea, which makes the lens power harder to calculate. Tell your surgeon about earlier eye surgery and bring your reports.

Should you stop regular medicines before surgery?

No. Do not stop or change your regular medicines unless your treating clinician tells you to. Tell your doctor about everything you take, including blood thinners and diabetes medicines.

Book a Cataract Assessment in Lahore

If you are thinking about cataract surgery in Lahore, you do not have to decide alone. Call +92 322 4021676 or message us on WhatsApp to book a cataract assessment with Dr. Kashif Jahangir. An assessment does not commit you to surgery.