Cataract Surgery

The World's Most Common Surgery. Elevated by an Uncommon Level of Precision.

A cataract is not a film over the eye. It is the eye’s own lens gradually clouding, like a window fogging from within.

At Aviva, cataract surgery pairs advanced surgical expertise with personalized lens options. In a short outpatient procedure, we remove the cloudy lens and replace it with a clear artificial lens, helping restore the clarity that time has quietly taken and, for many patients, improving vision beyond what they have experienced in years.

Ideal candidates

It is usually time to talk about cataract surgery when:

Night driving has become genuinely uncomfortable, halos, glare, hesitation
Reading needs ever-brighter light, and colors have gone quiet
New glasses no longer fix what feels wrong

When a cataract begins to affect how you see and live, it may be time to move beyond simply watching it.

When that time comes is a decision you and Dr. Thornton will make together, based on your vision, your daily life, and what matters most to you. There is rarely a need to rush, and you will never feel pressured.

Benefits

A better quality of life. Clearer vision can make everyday activities, independence, and time with the people you love feel more accessible.
Vision tailored to your life. With the right lens choice, many patients can reduce their need for glasses and enjoy clearer distance, intermediate, or near vision.
Brighter clarity and color. Many patients say it feels as if “someone turned the lights back on.”
A lasting solution. Once removed, a cataract does not return. The artificial lens cannot develop a cataract.
Greater confidence and safety. Clearer vision can make stairs, curbs, and low-light settings easier to navigate and may help reduce fall risk.
Support for an active, connected life. Research suggests cataract surgery may be associated with a lower risk of cognitive decline over time, though it is not a treatment for or proven prevention of dementia.
A refined, time-tested procedure. Cataract surgery is one of the most commonly performed procedures in medicine, with millions completed each year.

The procedure

The Lens Choice Is Where It Gets Personal

No two people experience vision in quite the same way. You may want to see your grandchildren’s faces clearly, drive more comfortably at night, enjoy a round of golf, work at a computer, or read without always reaching for glasses. Your lens choice is an opportunity to shape how you see the moments that matter most.

Dr. Thornton will take the time to understand your eyes, your lifestyle, and your goals. Standard single-focus lenses, astigmatism-correcting lenses, and premium options, including extended depth-of-focus, multifocal, and light-adjustable lenses, each offer different benefits. Together, you will choose the lens option that best fits your vision and your life.

For many patients, cataract surgery is about more than removing a cloudy lens. It is also an opportunity to correct nearsightedness, farsightedness, or astigmatism, with the goal of reducing your dependence on glasses for the activities that matter most to you.

To explore the potential benefits of astigmatism-correcting and premium lens options, visit the Alcon Interactive Lens Simulator.

The Procedure

Cataract surgery is the world’s most commonly performed operation, and today’s experience bears little resemblance to what your parents may remember. There is no hospital stay and no weeks of wearing an eye patch. Instead, it is a gentle outpatient procedure designed around comfort, clarity, and exceptional care.

At Aviva, every part of the experience is intended to help you feel calm and supported. Dr. Thornton understands that eye surgery can feel intimidating, so you will be guided through each step at an unhurried pace, with time for your questions and reassurance along the way.

What Happens, Step by Step

Your vision plan begins well before surgery. Your eye is measured in precise detail, and Dr. Thornton works with you to select the replacement lens that best fits your eyes, lifestyle, and visual goals.
From the moment you arrive, your comfort, confidence, and peace of mind are our highest priorities. With light sedation, most patients remember very little of the procedure, often recalling only soft colors and light.
Your cataract is removed with care and precision. Dr. Thornton combines extensive surgical experience with advanced techniques and state-of-the-art equipment to gently remove the cloudy lens.
Your new lens is placed. The selected lens unfolds into the natural pocket where your original lens once sat. The tiny opening typically seals on its own, so stitches are rarely needed.

The Return to Clearer Vision

Within the first week, many patients begin to notice brighter colors, sharper details, and a renewed sense of clarity.
Over the following weeks, your eye drops gradually taper on a simple schedule as you return to many of your usual routines.
When the time is right, the second eye can be treated, allowing your vision to come into greater balance.
At your follow-up visits, Dr. Thornton will carefully monitor your healing and confirm your final glasses prescription, if one is needed.

Questions, answered

Am I asleep during cataract surgery?

You are comfortably relaxed with numbing drops and light sedation, awake, but most patients remember little more than soft light and colors.

Which Lens Is Right for Me?

The right lens is the one that helps you see the life you want to live. Perhaps that means reading in the morning without reaching for glasses, seeing your loved ones more clearly, feeling comfortable driving at night, feeling safe when walking down the stairs, or enjoying your favorite activities with greater freedom. It is a thoughtful conversation about how you spend your days, what you value most, and how you hope to see after surgery.

You do not have to sort through the options alone. Dr. Thornton will take the time to listen to what matters most to you, study your eye measurements carefully, and guide you toward the choices that fit your eyes and your everyday life.

Together, you will create a vision plan that feels clear, personal, and right for you.

Can a Cataract Come Back?

No. Once removed, a cataract cannot return, and your replacement lens will not cloud.

It is very common to develop clouding of the capsule behind the lens over time. This is not a new cataract and can be treated very easily with a brief in-office laser procedure.

How Long Can I Safely Wait?

For many people, cataract surgery is a personal decision made when vision begins to interfere with the way they want to live. There is no single “right” time, and Dr. Thornton will help you decide based on your vision, daily activities, eye health, and goals.

That said, very advanced cataracts can be more complex to remove. The better question is not simply how long you can wait, but what waiting is costing you: night drives avoided, books set aside, or moments that no longer feel as clear. When a cataract starts editing your life, it may be time for a conversation.