Cataracts
Personalized, Top Quality Eye Care in Queens
At Focus Eye Care and Surgery, we understand how much your vision impacts your quality of life. Cataracts are a common age-related condition that causes the natural lens of the eye to become cloudy, leading to blurry vision and making daily activities like reading and driving difficult. Led by board-certified ophthalmologist Dr. Neelofar Ghaznawi, our practice provides advanced cataract surgery options for patients throughout the NYC area with offices in Manhattan, Queens, and Brooklyn. By utilizing state-of-the-art technology and personalized lens implants, we help our patients regain clear vision and improve their quality of life.
What are Cataracts?
A cataract is a condition where the eye’s natural lens becomes cloudy, obstructing the passage of light to the retina. In a healthy eye, the lens is clear and flexible, functioning much like a camera lens to focus light. However, as we age, the proteins within the lens begin to break down and clump together. These clumps create cloudy patches that gradually impair vision.
According to the National Eye Institute, cataracts are a normal part of the aging process, with more than 24.4 million Americans age 40 and older affected by the condition. By age 80, approximately half of all Americans will have developed cataracts.
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National Eye Institute
Cataract Data and Statistics
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While the condition progresses slowly, it eventually reaches a point where it significantly interferes with your ability to see clearly, requiring surgical intervention.
Symptoms of Cataracts
Cataracts typically develop over several years, and early symptoms may be subtle. As the cloudy lens becomes more opaque, you may notice:
- Blurry or Cloudy Vision: Your sight may feel as though you are looking through a foggy or dusty window.
- Faded or Dull Colors: Colors may appear less vibrant or take on a yellowish tint.
- Increased Sensitivity to Light: Bright sunlight or indoor lighting may feel overwhelming.
- Halos Around Lights: You may see starbursts or halos, particularly when driving at night.
- Difficulty Seeing at Night: Reduced contrast makes it harder to navigate in low-light conditions.
- Double Vision: You might experience overlapping images in one eye.
- Frequent Prescription Changes: Needing new eyeglasses or contact lenses more often than usual.
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Cataracts (Age-Related)
Cleveland Clinic
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If you are experiencing these symptoms, a comprehensive eye exam at Focus Eye Care & Surgery can determine if cataracts are the cause.
What Causes Cataracts?
While aging is the primary cause of cataracts, several factors can accelerate their development. According to the Mayo Clinic, risk factors include:
- Diabetes: High blood sugar can lead to changes in the lens structure.
- UV Exposure: Long-term exposure to sunlight without proper eye protection.
- Smoking: Tobacco use increases oxidative stress in the eye.
- Obesity: Higher body mass index is linked to an increased risk of cataract formation.
- Previous Eye Injuries: Trauma or prior eye surgery, such as for glaucoma or retina issues, can trigger cataracts.
- Medications: Prolonged use of corticosteroids.
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Cataracts
Mayo Clinic
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“Restoring a patient’s vision through cataract surgery is one of the most rewarding aspects of ophthalmology, as it directly impacts their ability to engage with the world around them,” says Dr. Neelofar Ghaznawi.
Cataract Treatment: Cataract Surgery
In the early stages, cataracts may be managed with updated eyeglasses or brighter lighting. However, surgery is the only permanent way to treat cataracts. During the procedure, the cloudy natural lens is removed and replaced with a clear artificial lens, known as an intraocular lens (IOL).
Cataract surgery is one of the most frequently performed and successful procedures in modern health care. According to the American Refractive Surgery Council, the procedure has a success rate of over 95% in improving vision for patients who do not have other significant eye health issues like advanced macular degeneration or severe glaucoma.
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Is Cataract Surgery with Vision-Correcting IOLs Safe?
American Refractive Surgery Council
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How is Laser-Assisted Cataract Surgery Different?
At Focus Eye Care, we offer both traditional and laser-assisted cataract surgery. While traditional surgery is highly effective, the use of a femtosecond laser provides a higher level of precision for certain steps of the procedure.
Benefits of Laser Cataract Surgery
- Astigmatism Correction: The laser can be used to create precise cornealincisions to reshape the eye, reducing or eliminating astigmatism.
- Enhanced Precision: The laser creates a perfectly circular opening in the lens capsule (capsulorhexis), which is critical for the stable placement of the intraocular lens.
- Gentler Removal: The laser pre-fragments the cloudy lens, requiring less ultrasound energy to remove it. This can lead to less swelling and a quicker visual recovery.
- Customized Outcomes: The technology allows for a highly personalized treatment plan based on the unique anatomy of your eye.
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The Latest Evidence with Regards to Femtosecond Laser-Assisted Cataract Surgery and Its Use Post 2020
Levitz LM, Dick HB, Scott W, Hodge C, Reich JA.
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Intraocular Lens (IOL) Options
Choosing the right lens implant is a vital part of your vision correction journey. We offer a range of premium lens options to suit your lifestyle:
- Monofocal Lens: These lenses provide clear vision at a single distance, usually distance vision. Most patients will still need eyeglasses for reading.
- Multifocal Lens: Designed to provide clear vision at multiple distances, reducing the need for glasses for both near and far tasks.
- Toric Lenses: Specifically designed to correct astigmatism during cataract surgery.
- Extended Depth of Focus (EDOF) Lenses: These provide a continuous range of high-quality vision, particularly for intermediate and distance vision.
“Our goal at Focus Eye Care is to provide cutting-edgevision correction that is tailored to the specific lifestyle needs of every individual we serve in the New York City area,” notes Dr. Ghaznawi.
Why Choose Focus Eye Care for Cataract Surgery?
When you choose Focus Eye Care for your eye surgery, you are choosing a practice dedicated to comprehensive eye care and patient safety. Dr. Neelofar Ghaznawi is a board-certified ophthalmologist and cornea specialist with years of experience in complex eye care services.
Our practice routinely sees patients from Queens, the greater Long Island region, and New York City metro area. We combine a compassionate approach with the latest medical technology to ensure you receive the best possible outcomes.
Dr. Neelofar Ghaznawi completed her residency in ophthalmology at NYU and went on to complete a prestigious fellowship in Cornea and External Disease at Wills Eye Hospital. In addition to her private practice, she serves as an Assistant Clinical Professor at Mount Sinai, where she helps train the next generation of eye surgeons.
Credentials and Affiliations:
- Board-Certified by the American Board of Ophthalmology
- Fellowship-Trained at Wills Eye Hospital
- Residency at New York University (NYU)
- Member, American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO)
- Member, American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ASCRS)
- Assistant Clinical Professor, Mount Sinai
The Cataract Surgery Procedure
Cataract surgery is an outpatient procedure that typically takes less than 30 minutes.
- Preparation: Your eye will be numbed with specialized eye drops to ensure you are comfortable. You may also receive a mild sedative to help you relax.
- Incisions: Using either a manual blade or a femtosecond laser, the surgeon makes tiny incisions in the cornea.
- Lens Removal: The cloudy lens is broken up using ultrasound waves (phacoemulsification) and gently removed.
- IOL Placement: The artificial lens is inserted through the same small incision and positioned permanently in the eye.
- Closing: The incisions are so small that they typically self-seal without the need for sutures.
Cataract Surgery Recovery
Most patients notice an improvement in their vision within 24 to 48 hours after surgery. During the initial recovery period, you may experience mild itching or fluid discharge, but significant pain is rare.
Most patients can return to light daily activities within a day of the procedure, though strenuous exercise and swimming should be avoided for at least two weeks to prevent infection and ensure proper healing. You will be prescribed antibiotic and anti-inflammatory eye drops to use during the first few weeks of recovery.
Frequently Asked Questions About Cataracts
Focus Eye Care provides advanced cataract surgery options and serves patients from Queens, Long Island, and the New York City metro area. Our practice offers a combination of surgical skill and personalized care to help you achieve the best possible vision.
Most patients notice a significant improvement in visual clarity within the first 24 to 48 hours. While you can typically return to work and light daily routines the next day, the cornea usually takes four to six weeks to heal completely. During your follow up appointments at our office, we will provide specific instructions on when you can safely resume driving or high-intensity exercise.
No, once the natural lens is removed and replaced, a cataract cannot grow back. However, some individuals may experience clouding of the membrane that supports the new lens implant, a condition known as posterior capsule opacification (PCO) or a “secondary cataract”. This is a common occurrence and is easily addressed with a brief, painless laser procedure called a YAG capsulotomy.
Your need for glasses after surgery depends on the type of intraocular lens (IOL) you select. Standard monofocal lens implants usually mean you will still need reading glasses for near vision. However, if you opt for premium multifocal or extended depth of focus lenses, many patients achieve a high level of visual freedom and rarely need glasses for distance or close-up tasks.
Typically, our cataract surgeons treat one eye at a time, usually spacing the procedures about one to two weeks apart. This staggered approach allows the first eye to begin its recovery and ensures you maintain functional eyesight in the other eye during the initial healing phase.
Intraocular lenses are designed to be a permanent part of your eye health and are intended to last for the rest of your life. They are crafted from highly durable, biocompatible materials that do not wear out or degrade, meaning you should not need to have the lens replaced in the future.
Cataract surgery is an outpatient procedure. You should expect to be at our eye center for approximately two to three hours in total, even though the actual eye surgery takes less than 10 to 15 minutes. Because you will receive a mild sedative to ensure you are relaxed, you must have a designated driver to take you home.
If cataracts are left untreated, they will continue to thicken and cloud your eyesight, which can eventually lead to legal blindness. In more advanced stages, the cataract can become “hypermature”, which increases the complexity of the surgery and raises the risk of other eye conditions such as glaucoma or intraocular inflammation.
Most insurance plans, including Medicare, cover traditional cataract surgery when it is deemed medically necessary. However, there may be out-of-pocket costs associated with premium lens implants or laser-assisted techniques. Our team will help you understand your insurance coverage during your consultation.
Contact Us
If you are ready to restore your vision and improve your quality of life, contact Focus Eye Care and Surgery today to schedule a consultation with Dr. Neelofar Ghaznawi. Our team is dedicated to providing personalized, high-quality eye care to help you see clearly again.
We proudly serve patients from throughout NYC area, including Queens, Long Island, and Brooklyn.
The doctors at Focus Eye Care & Surgery have reviewed and approved this content.
Page Updated:
1 National Eye Institute. Cataract Data and Statistics. Available: https://www.nei.nih.gov/eye-health-information/eye-conditions-and-diseases/cataracts. Accessed January 13, 2026.
2 Cleveland Clinic. Cataracts (Age-Related). https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/8589-cataracts-age-related. Accessed January 13, 2026.
3 Mayo Clinic. Cataracts. Available: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/cataracts/symptoms-causes/syc-20353790. Accessed January 13, 2026.
4 American Refractive Surgery Council. Is Cataract Surgery with Vision-Correcting IOLs Safe? Available: https://americanrefractivesurgerycouncil.org/refractive-surgery-procedures/cataract-surgery-with-vision-correcting-iols/is-cataract-surgery-with-vision-correcting-iols-safe. Accessed January 13, 2026.
5 Levitz LM, Dick HB, Scott W, Hodge C, Reich JA. The Latest Evidence with Regards to Femtosecond Laser-Assisted Cataract Surgery and Its Use Post 2020. Clin Ophthalmol. 2021 Mar 30;15:1357-1363. doi: 10.2147/OPTH.S306550. PMID: 33833494; PMCID: PMC8019659. Available: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33833494/. Accessed January 13, 2026.