Two of the steps in cataract surgery

The most common type of cataract surgery is called phacoemulsification (fak-o-e-mul-sih-fih-KAY-shun). During this process, a handpiece is inserted into the eye and uses ultrasound energy to rapidly move the tip of the handpiece back and forth to break up the cataract. Your surgeon then suctions out the lens, as seen in the top image. The outer housing of the lens, called the lens capsule, is left in place. After removing the lens, your surgeon places the artificial lens into the capsule where the natural lens used to be, as seen in the bottom image.

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