At Hospital Particular do Algarve, we combine advanced technology, surgical expertise, and a personalized approach to restore clarity to our patients’ vision and lives.
A cataract is the progressive loss of transparency of the crystalline lens, the eye’s natural lens. Instead of allowing light to pass clearly to the retina, the lens becomes opaque, causing blurred vision, colour distortions, increased sensitivity to light, and difficulty performing daily tasks such as reading, driving, or recognizing faces.
Some people report seeing halos around lights or feeling faded colours, especially blues and yellows. Cataracts often progress very slowly, causing the patient to adapt to the visual loss without realizing it. However, signs such as frequent changes in prescription glasses, difficulty in brightly lit environments, or the perception of “hazy” vision are important indicators.
It’s important to emphasize that there are no eye drops or medications capable of reversing or slowing cataracts; their treatment is exclusively surgical. However, it is a safe, minimally invasive intervention performed on an outpatient basis. Using the latest technology, the procedure allows for a quick recovery and, in most cases, the patient can return home the same day and resume their normal activities within a few days.
The great advancement in cataract surgery is due to the diversity and sophistication of lenses available today; lenses that allow the correction of different refractive errors and adapt vision to each patient’s profile.
Single-vision lenses are the simplest, correcting vision at a single distance – usually for distance vision – and requiring glasses for near tasks. In cases of significant astigmatism, toric lenses are used, with specific geometries that compensate for the asymmetrical curvature of the cornea, optimizing visual quality.
In turn, multifocal lenses offer distance, near, and intermediate vision, providing greater independence from glasses. However, they can cause side effects such as halos, dysphotopsias, and a slight reduction in contrast sensitivity, especially in low-light conditions.
The latest generation includes lenses with extended depth of focus that create a single, wider focal point instead of multiple separate points, offering smoother, more natural vision with fewer undesirable effects. These lenses better meet modern visual demands, such as frequent use of computers, tablets, and smartphones.
With high-definition imaging technology and artificial intelligence algorithms, we now achieve remarkable planning accuracy, providing personalized solutions that optimize patients’ quality of life.
At the HPA Institute (in Montenegro, Faro), we offer an integrated approach, where each step of the process – from diagnosis to postoperative care – is carefully planned to ensure safety, comfort, and excellent visual results. In addition to the medical and technical team, our clinical managers also ensure coordination with healthcare providers and subsystems, streamlining the authorization process so that the patient has a hassle-free experience.
The HPA Institute is currently the most advanced ophthalmology centre in the Algarve, both in terms of its innovative equipment and its specialized and distinguished clinical staff.
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