Two of the steps in cataract surgery

The most common type of cataract surgery is called phacoemulsification. During this process, the rapidly vibrating tip of an ultrasound probe breaks up the cataract. Your surgeon then suctions out the lens, as seen in the top image. An outer housing of the cataract, called the lens capsule, is generally left in place. After removing the lens, your surgeon places the lens implant into the empty space within the capsule where the natural lens used to be, as seen in the bottom image.

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