Editing Cataract (section)

=== Postoperative care ===
[[File:Anterior capsular opacification.jpg|thumb|[[Slit lamp]] photo of anterior capsular opacification visible a few months after implantation of intraocular lens, magnified view]]
[[File:Africa Partnerships Vision 2020 2 (10665602364).jpg|thumb|A South African woman experiences newfound eyesight after a patch was removed after surgery to remove an eye cataract.]]
The postoperative recovery period (after removing the cataract) is usually short. The patient is usually ambulatory on the day of surgery, but is advised to move cautiously and avoid straining or heavy lifting for about a month. The eye is usually patched on the day of surgery and use of an eye shield at night is often suggested for several days after surgery.<ref name=vaughan />

In all types of surgery, the cataractous lens is removed and replaced with an artificial lens, known as an [[intraocular lens]], which stays in the eye permanently. Intraocular lenses are usually monofocal, correcting for either distance or near vision. Multifocal lenses may be implanted to improve near and distance vision simultaneously, but these lenses may increase the chance of unsatisfactory vision.<ref name="yanoff" />