1. Small incision cataract surgery involves making an incision in the side of the cornea (the clear outer covering of the eye) and inserting a tiny probe into the eye. The probe emits ultrasound waves that soften and break up the lens into little pieces so it can be suctioned out.
During this procedure, the surgeon removes the cataract but leaves most of the thin outer membrane of the lens, called the lens capsule, in place. The incision made for this procedure is so small that the surgeon generally does not need to use sutures to close the opening.
2. Extracapsular surgery requires a somewhat larger incision in the cornea to allow the lens core to be removed in one piece. This approach may be used if your cataract has advanced to the point where phacoemulsification can't break up the clouded lens. Through this incision, your surgeon opens the lens capsule, removes the central portion of the lens and leaves the capsule in place.