Cataract surgery

Another discovery of ancient Indians is Cataract surgery.

What is cataract?

Blurry vision at any distance is the most common symptom of cataracts.Your view may look foggy, filmy, or cloudy. Over time, as the cataracts get worse, less light reaches the retina.

Sushruta is the most celebrated physician and surgeon in India. Though he practiced during the 5th century B.C., many of his contributions to medicine and surgery preceded similar discoveries in the Western world. Sushruta devotes a complete volume of his experiences to ophthalmologic diseases.He is the father of  Indian surgery and ophthalmology.

The technique he used is couching(lens depression). A curved needle was used to push the lens into the rear of the eye and out of the field of vision. The eye would later be soaked with warm clarified butter and then bandaged. Sushruta claimed success with this method.This procedure should only be performed when absolutely necessary. It was a caution.

The removal of cataract by surgery was also introduced into China from India.The procedure, also known as jin pi shu in Mandarin.

Modern way of cataract surgery

In cataract surgery, the lens inside your eye that has become cloudy is removed and replaced with an artificial lens (called an intraocular lens, or IOL) to restore clear vision.

Most modern cataract procedures involve the use of a high-frequency ultrasound device that breaks up the cloudy lens into small pieces, which are then gently removed from the eye with suction.This procedure, called phacoemulsification or "phaco," can be performed with smaller incisions than previous surgical techniques for cataract removal, promoting faster healing and reducing the risk of cataract surgery complications, such as a retinal detachment.

This is the history of cataract surgery.

Ancient Indians were intelligent and knowledgeable at that time.We should be proud of them.

-Vishali Kannan