The crystalline is an internal structure of the eye in the form of a small button bulging on both sides. As its name indicates, it should be completely transparent. The crystalline, both its capsule and inside, where it is filled with a gel consistency protein, is clear under normal conditions.
Opacification of the crystalline eventually leads to blindness by preventing the passage of light. The function of the crystalline is to protect the retina from ultraviolet rays of light; with its movement it allows the focusing of the images when approaching or withdrawing from them, and to direct in a suitable form the light towards the retina.
The cataract consists of the opacity of the content of the crystalline, and its origin can be hereditary as primary cause, or related to some other ocular disease; a cataract can also occur due to internal diseases of the organism. This is considered as a secondary cause of cataract.
Currently, there are no curative drugs, so the only solution is surgery. This is done through the extraction of the crystalline’s content. The most modern, effective and least invasive method, is Phacoemulsification. In order to do this, the patient must be previously evaluated to find out the degree of maturity of the cataract. A cataract can be incipient, mature or hyper mature, each stage with different degrees of hardness. Depending on a final evaluation the procedure may be performed. In some instances, the degree of hardening could be an impediment to the removal of the cataract.
