Cataract surgery in Paris and Cachan

Written and medically reviewed by Dr Moïse Tourabaly · Last updated: July 6, 2026

What is a cataract? Anatomy and mechanism

The lens is a transparent biological lens located behind the iris, which focuses light onto the retina. With age, the proteins that make it up gradually lose their transparency: the lens turns yellow, then brown, sometimes opaque. This is what is known as a cataract. This clouding filters and scatters light, vision becomes blurred, colours darken, and contrast fades.

A cataract is painless and develops over several months to several years. It is bilateral in the vast majority of cases, often asymmetric (one eye precedes the other by a few months to a few years). The only effective treatment is surgical: removing the clouded lens and replacing it with a transparent intraocular implant.

Warning symptoms to watch for

The telltale signs are gradual. They often appear insidiously and are sometimes wrongly attributed to a simple need for new glasses:

• Blurred vision, a sense of permanent “fog” or haze, without pain.
• Significant difficulty driving at night: halos around headlights, prolonged glare from low-angle light.
• Reduced contrast: less sharp outlines, difficulty reading street signs, washed-out colours (particularly blues and purples).
• Frequent changes in optical correction within a few months, with no lasting visual benefit.
• Need for stronger lighting to read, sew or cook.
• Monocular double vision (a single eye sees double, even with glasses removed), rarer but indicative.

For a full overview of symptoms, when to seek advice and the self-assessment to do before your appointment, see the dedicated page Cataract symptoms: when to seek advice.

Causes and risk factors

• Age: the primary factor, generally from 55 to 60 years of age. Prevalence rises sharply after age 70.
• Diabetes: promotes the onset of an earlier and sometimes more progressive cataract. Rigorous HbA1c monitoring remains a useful preventive measure. The specific features of diabetic cataract warrant tailored management.
• Cumulative sun exposure without UV protection: particularly at high altitude, at sea and in outdoor occupations.
• Ocular trauma: a direct blow can cause a cataract long after the event, sometimes years later.
• Long-term corticosteroids: systemic, oral, inhaled or topical ocular.
• Smoking and chronic alcohol use: recognised aggravating factors.
• Heredity: a family predisposition in certain early or congenital forms.
• High myopia: associated with an earlier cataract, particularly in a lens already strained by axial length.

DIAGNOSIS

Diagnosis: examinations at the practice

A cataract is diagnosed during a consultation, through a slit-lamp examination after pupil dilation. It is confirmed and quantified by additional assessment intended to prepare for surgery: measurement of corrected visual acuity, optical biometry (Zeiss IOLMaster 700 at the practice) to calculate the power of the future implant, corneal topography to screen for astigmatism, and macular OCT to check the integrity of the central retina.

The details of these examinations, how they are carried out and the information they provide are covered on the page Cataract pre-operative assessment.

The different types of cataract

• Nuclear cataract: the most common, clouding of the lens nucleus. Slow progression, often responsible for gradual myopic shift (paradoxically, near vision improves without glasses).
• Cortical cataract: spoke-like opacities in the peripheral cortex. More pronounced discomfort from glare and halos.
• Posterior subcapsular cataract: clouding just behind the posterior capsule. Often rapid progression, with particular difficulty reading and in bright light. Common with corticosteroid therapy or in people with diabetes.
• Congenital cataract: present at birth or appearing in childhood. Requires prompt specialist management.
• Traumatic cataract: following an ocular injury.

To be distinguished from secondary cataract: clouding of the posterior capsule that may appear several months to several years after successful surgery. It is treated simply with a YAG laser. See the dedicated page Secondary cataract: YAG laser.

PREMIUM IMPLANTS

Choosing your implant: an overview of the 4 families

The intraocular implant permanently replaces the removed lens. The choice of its power and type determines long-term visual comfort. Four main families, depending on your lifestyle, your astigmatism and your budget:

• Monofocal implant: the standard reimbursed by the French health service. Corrects vision at a single distance (usually far), with glasses needed for reading.
• Toric implant: additionally corrects pre-existing corneal astigmatism. See the toric implant page.
• EDOF implant (extended depth of focus): covers far vision and part of intermediate vision, with very few night-time halos. See the EDOF implant page.
• Multifocal (trifocal) implant: aims for spectacle independence at all distances, suited to certain profiles. See the multifocal implant page.

Each family has its own indications, limitations and cost. The choice is made during the consultation after analysing your expectations and your assessment. For a detailed discussion of implant choice according to age and lifestyle, see also Cataract after 60 and the multifocal implant and Cataract with astigmatism.

HOW THE PROCEDURE WORKS

The surgery: an overview

Cataract surgery is a phacoemulsification: the lens is fragmented by ultrasound then aspirated through a 2.2 mm micro-incision, and replaced by a folded flexible implant introduced into the original capsule. The procedure is performed as an outpatient, under local anaesthesia with light sedation for your comfort, lasts about 15 to 30 minutes and allows you to return home the same day.

I perform all my cataract surgeries at the Clinique Sainte-Geneviève (Paris 14). The full patient journey: why this clinic, an hour-by-hour breakdown, the administrative file, the anaesthesia consultation, the aftermath, recovery and risks, is detailed on the dedicated page Cataract surgery at Clinique Sainte-Geneviève.

Depending on where you live, two pages detail access and the care pathway: cataract in Paris 13 (south-east Paris area) and cataract in Cachan (Val-de-Marne). The diagnostic consultation and biometry are carried out at the Cachan practice; the surgery takes place at Clinique Sainte-Geneviève (Paris 14).

How much does cataract surgery cost?

Cataract surgery is recognised as a medical procedure: the operation and the standard monofocal implant are fully covered by the French health service and complementary health insurers. The surgeon’s fees are set according to your insurance sector and your complementary cover.

An optional surcharge remains your responsibility only if you choose a premium implant (toric, EDOF, multifocal), whose higher cost is not covered by the national health insurance. This out-of-pocket amount is known in advance: a detailed quote is provided by my assistant before any decision. All the precise figures (health-service rates, any fee supplement, the specific cost of each premium implant, complementary-insurance reimbursement bases) are gathered on the page Cataract pricing.

Administrative coverage and supporting documents

Because cataract surgery is a medically necessary procedure (and not elective comfort surgery like LASIK), it qualifies for full administrative coverage:

• Sick leave: I can issue you a medical leave certificate for the recovery period, tailored to your occupation. The typical duration is from a few days to a week depending on the nature of your job (shorter for sedentary work, longer in case of physical activity or exposure to dust).
• Transport authorisation: for the day of surgery only, covering the round trip between your home and Clinique Sainte-Geneviève on the day of the procedure. The post-operative consultations (day 2, day 7, month 1) and the prior anaesthesia consultation, which is held at the clinic, are made by your own means.
• Surgical file: my assistant prepares all the necessary documents: the quote (financial transparency on any premium implants), the information sheet from the French Society of Ophthalmology (SFO: standard informed-consent document), the pre-operative prescription (dilating eye drops to be instilled before the procedure), and the post-operative prescription (antibiotic, anti-inflammatory, artificial tears if you experience dryness).

After the operation: prognosis and daily life

Visual recovery is generally rapid. Sharp vision sets in within a few days, with complete recovery and refractive stabilisation occurring at 4 to 6 weeks. The post-operative eye drops are to be continued for about a month. Driving is allowed as soon as your vision is comfortable (often at 48 to 72 hours), and office work usually from the next day.

The full detail of the aftermath (what to do, what to avoid, signs to watch for, the schedule of check-up consultations) is covered on the dedicated page Cataract post-operative care.

FAIR INFORMATION

Special cases

Cataract and diabetes

A cataract appears earlier in people with diabetes and may progress more rapidly. A rigorous prior retinal assessment is essential to screen for any associated diabetic retinopathy. Optimised blood-glucose control, evidenced by HbA1c, improves the post-operative course. Specific features detailed on Cataract and diabetes.

Cataract and astigmatism

Pre-existing corneal astigmatism can be corrected during the same operation with a toric implant, which avoids leaving residual astigmatism after the procedure. See also Astigmatism and cataract.

Cataract after 60 and the wish for spectacle independence

Cataract surgery is an opportune moment to discuss a premium implant (multifocal or EDOF) that can significantly reduce your dependence on glasses at all distances. See Cataract after 60 and the multifocal implant.

Can a cataract be prevented?

Age-related cataract is ultimately unavoidable. A few preventive measures can nonetheless help delay its onset or slow its progression:

• Suitable sun protection: sunglasses with a certified UV filter, worn systematically at sea, in the mountains and during prolonged driving.
• Rigorous diabetes control if you have it: an individualised HbA1c target set with your treating physician.
• Smoking cessation and limiting alcohol consumption.
• A balanced diet rich in antioxidants (colourful vegetables, fruit, oily fish).
• Judicious use of corticosteroids, particularly long-term ocular ones.
• Regular eye screening from age 50, more frequent in the presence of a risk factor.

CLINICAL RESULTS

Cataract surgery in numbers

Cataract surgery is the most commonly performed surgical procedure in the world, with around 30 million procedures per year worldwide and more than 800,000 per year in France. The return of visual autonomy is rapid, and patient satisfaction is now measured against several objective criteria.

SURGICAL EXPERTISE

Why choose Dr Tourabaly for your cataract

Choosing your surgeon is an important decision. A few factual reference points on Dr Tourabaly’s background and approach may help inform it.