Select City
location
Get my Location
search icon
phone icon in white color

Call Us

Book Free Appointment

Difference Between Immature & Mature Cataracts

Both mature and immature cataracts are capable of impairing your vision. This content intends to help you understand these two types of cataracts and decide the best approach for cataract removal. To know more about mature and immature cataracts, you can consult with the best ophthalmologists at Pristyn Care.

Both mature and immature cataracts are capable of impairing your vision. This content ... Read More

anup_soni_banner
Book FREE Doctor Appointment
cost calculator
Anup Soni - the voice of Pristyn Care pointing to download pristyncare mobile app
i
i
i
i
Call Us
We are rated
2 M+ Happy Patients
700+ Hospitals
45+ Cities

To confirm your details, please enter OTP sent to you on *

i

45+

Cities

Free Consultation

Free Consultation

Free Cab Facility

Free Cab Facility

No-Cost EMI

No-Cost EMI

Support in Insurance Claim

Support in Insurance Claim

1-day Hospitalization

1-day Hospitalization

USFDA-Approved Procedure

USFDA-Approved Procedure

Best Doctors For Cataract Surgery

Choose Your City

It help us to find the best doctors near you.

Bangalore

Chennai

Delhi

Hyderabad

Mumbai

Pune

Delhi

Gurgaon

Noida

Ahmedabad

Bangalore

  • online dot green
    Dr. Piyush Kapur (1WZI1UcGZY)

    Dr. Piyush Kapur

    MBBS, SNB-Ophthalmologist, FRCS
    28 Yrs.Exp.

    4.9/5

    28 Years Experience

    location icon C, 2/390, Pankha Rd, C4 D Block, C-2 Block, Janakpuri, New Delhi, Delhi, 110058
    Call Us
    6366-526-846
  • online dot green
    Dr. Varun Gogia (N1ct9d3hko)

    Dr. Varun Gogia

    MBBS, MD
    18 Yrs.Exp.

    4.9/5

    18 Years Experience

    location icon 26, National Park Rd, near Moolchand Metro station, Vikram Vihar, Lajpat Nagar IV, Lajpat Nagar, New Delhi, Delhi 110024
    Call Us
    6366-526-846
  • online dot green
    Dr. Prerana Tripathi (JTV8yKdDuO)

    Dr. Prerana Tripathi

    MBBS, DO, DNB - Ophthalmology
    16 Yrs.Exp.

    4.6/5

    16 Years Experience

    location icon 266/C, 80 Feet Rd, near C.M.H HOSPITAL, HAL 3rd Stage, Indiranagar, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560038
    Call Us
    6366-447-380
  • online dot green
    Dr. Chanchal Gadodiya (569YKXVNqG)

    Dr. Chanchal Gadodiya

    MS, DNB, FICO, MRCS, Fellow Paediatric Opth and StrabismusMobile
    12 Yrs.Exp.

    4.5/5

    12 Years Experience

    location icon GRCW+76R, Jangali Maharaj Road Dealing Corner, Shivajinagar, Pune, Maharashtra 411004
    Call Us
    6366-370-234

What Is Mature Cataract?

A mature cataract signifies an advanced degree of cataract development, where the eye’s lens becomes substantially clouded. This can lead to severe visual impairment. This is what happens:

  • The lens turns densely opaque, blocking light passage completely. This leads to vision loss.
  • Symptoms surface such as a significant reduction in vision in the affected eye, making routine activities challenging.

Mature cataracts can be treated. The procedure involves surgical intervention, where the cloudy lens is removed and replaced with an artificial intraocular lens (IOL). If left untreated, however, mature cataracts could worsen vision, increase sensitivity to glare, and significantly affect daily activities, thereby impacting overall quality of life.

cost calculator

Cataract Surgery Cost Calculator

Fill details to get actual cost

i
i
i

To confirm your details, please enter OTP sent to you on *

i

What Is Immature Cataract?

An immature cataract is the initial stage in the development of a cataract where the lens of your eye starts turning cloudy. Despite this cloudiness, your vision might not be severely affected at this point. Here are some symptoms:

  • The lens may appear slightly opaque, but still allows light to pass through.
  • Your vision might be slightly blurred.
  • You may experience an increased sensitivity to light and glare.
  • Minor changes in colour perception can occur.

While immature cataracts are often associated with ageing, they can also be triggered by other factors such as eye injuries, certain health conditions, or even genetics. If left unchecked, an immature cataract can gradually evolve into a more advanced or “mature” stage with a more significant impact on vision. This emphasizes the necessity for regular eye check-ups; early detection can help monitor the progression of these cataracts, enabling timely treatment and preservation of your vision.

Are you going through any of these symptoms?

Features of Mature Cataracts

Mature cataracts bring about several changes in the eye that are distinguishable:

  • Full Opacity: The lens of your eye turns opaque, either white or brunescent. This blocks the light’s passage completely, leading to significant vision loss.
  • No Red Reflex: The absence of a red reflex makes the pupil appear white. Red reflex is the normal light reflection from the retina.
  • Fragile Capsule and Zonules: These two components become delicate, complicating their surgical removal.
  • Hypermature Cataracts: As a mature cataract progresses to its last stage, it becomes hypermature. The lens starts to wrinkle and shrink, increasing the risk of phacolytic glaucoma.
  • Brittle Capsule: During surgery, the capsule can be brittle, necessitating caution when handling it, especially with trypan blue dye.
  • Inhibited Hydrodissection: The fluid wave behind the nucleus isn’t visible during hydrodissection, and the fragile capsule requires careful handling.

Mature cataracts can be classified into three types – nuclear, cortical, and posterior subcapsular all having unique characteristics and treatment methods. The primary symptom is significant vision loss, which makes daily activities challenging and increases sensitivity to glare and light. If left untreated, these cataracts can worsen your vision significantly and impact your quality of life.

Features of Immature Cataracts

Immature cataracts exhibit several key characteristics:

  • Partial Opacity: At this stage, the lens partially clouds over but not to a degree that severely affects vision.
  • Visibility of Iris Shadow: The iris shadow can still be seen, suggesting that the lens isn’t completely opaque.
  • Red Reflex Present: During a slit-lamp examination, a red reflex can still be detected, indicating that the lens doesn’t entirely obstruct light passage.
  • Gradual Vision Changes: Immature cataracts bring about mild-to-moderate vision changes gradually. These may include slightly blurred vision, heightened glare sensitivity, and subtle alterations in colour perception.
  • Temporary Vision Improvement: Oddly enough, some patients experience ‘second sight’, a temporary improvement in vision as the lens hardens and becomes more spherical.

Varied Progression: The progress rate varies. Some immature cataracts remain stable for years while others mature rapidly.

Pristyn Care’s Free Post-Operative Care

Diet & Lifestyle Consultation

Post-Surgery Free Follow-Up

Free Cab Facility

24*7 Patient Support

Stages of Cataract Development

Understanding the stages of cataract development is key as cataract is a progressive eye ailment where your normally clear lens gradually becomes cloudy, thus affecting vision. Here are the four primary stages:

  • Early Cataract: Initially, your lens stays clear. However, you’ll slowly lose the ability to focus on objects both near and distant. Symptoms at this stage can include light sensitivity, mild blurring, early glare, and increased eye strain.
  • Immature Cataract: At this point, proteins start to cloud your lens, making it slightly opaque, particularly in the center. You might experience symptoms like blurred vision, dimmed vision, and double vision. To manage this stage, you may need new glasses or anti-glare lenses and improved lighting.
  • Mature Cataract: Your lens turns entirely white or amber during this stage, significantly affecting vision and hampering daily activities. Surgical removal of the clouded lens is often recommended when you reach this stage.

Hypermature Cataract: In this final stage, your lens becomes very dense and hardens considerably, severely restricting vision. This stage can also lead to complications such as inflammation and glaucoma that need immediate surgical intervention.

Treatments for Mature Cataracts

When it comes to treating mature cataracts, surgical intervention is the primary and most effective approach. Here’s what you need to know:

  • Surgical Intervention: Your doctor will surgically remove the clouded lens and replace it with an artificial IOL. This is the definitive method for managing mature cataracts.
  • Phacoemulsification: The most frequently used surgical technique is phacoemulsification. The process utilizes ultrasonic energy to break up and remove the dense, mature lens.
  • Extracapsular Cataract Extraction (ECCE): Another surgical option is ECCE, which involves a larger incision to remove the entire lens.

However, mature cataracts present additional challenges during surgery due to their dense, opaque nature and fragile surrounding structures called the capsule and zonules. To manage these challenges, precise techniques like capsulorrhexis and cautious hydrodissection are employed. Also, the use of femtosecond laser technology for mature cataracts is currently under evaluation. This might potentially help address some complexities involved.

Treatments for Immature Cataracts

There are many treatments available for immature cataracts:

  • Surgery: The primary treatment for an immature cataract is usually surgical intervention to excise the lens. In some instances, your doctor might prescribe eye drops or spectacles.
  • Medical Treatment: While no known medications can dissolve lenticular opacities, doctors may suggest alternatives like iodides of soda and potash, sedatives, and other drugs to manage symptoms.

Phacoemulsification: This prevalent surgical technique treats mature cataracts. It utilises ultrasonic energy to disintegrate and remove the cloudy lens and substitute it with an artificial IOL.

Differences Between Mature and Immature Cataract

Understanding the differences between mature and immature cataracts can help you better manage your eye health:

  Mature Cataract Immature Cataract
Lens Opacity The lens becomes completely opaque, appearing white or brownish Involves only partial lens cloudiness
Impact on Vision Significant vision impairment is common, hindering daily activities Produce milder vision changes like blurred sight and increased light sensitivity 
Progression Represents an advanced stage with significant progression Indicates that cataract is still in the early stages
Surgical Intervention Typically necessitate surgical removal of the clouded lens, replacing it with an artificial IOL May initially be managed with non-surgical interventions but might require surgery as they progress

FAQs

What causes immature cataracts?

Immature cataracts are often age-related but can also be caused by factors like eye injuries, certain medical conditions or genetics.

Can immature cataracts progress to become mature cataracts?

If left untreated, immature cataracts can progress over time and become mature cataracts, leading to more severe vision impairment.

What are some symptoms of a mature cataract?

The primary symptom is a significant loss of vision in the affected eye. Other symptoms include increased sensitivity to glare and difficulty with daily activities.

Do immature and mature cataracts have different treatments?

Yes. In the case of an immature cataract, prescription glasses, brighter lighting or magnifying lenses can help improve vision. However, as the cataract matures and vision deteriorates further, surgical removal becomes necessary.

Can the progression of cataracts be prevented?

While completely preventing cataracts isn’t possible, certain measures like wearing UV protection sunglasses, quitting smoking, managing diabetes effectively and maintaining a nutrient-rich diet may slow their progression.

Is surgery always necessary for treating cataracts?

In general, surgery becomes necessary when the clouding of your lens impairs vision to a degree that affects your daily life drastically. This is common in cases of mature cataracts.

Are there risks involved in cataract surgery?

Like any surgical procedure, cataract surgery also has potential risks such as infection, bleeding, retinal detachment or secondary cataract formation. However, these complications are rare and the success rate is generally high.

What is the recovery time post-cataract surgery?

Most people notice improved vision within a few days to weeks after surgery. Full recovery usually takes about eight weeks, during which vision continues to stabilise.

How can immature cataracts be detected early?

Regular eye exams are essential to detect immature cataracts early, monitor their progression, and plan timely treatment to preserve vision.

Can cataracts cause complete blindness?

Untreated mature cataracts can lead to significant vision loss and even blindness. However, timely detection and treatment can prevent this outcome.

View more questions downArrow
green tick with shield icon
Medically Reviewed By
doctor image
Dr. Piyush Kapur
28 Years Experience Overall
Last Updated : March 5, 2025

Our Patient Love Us

  • H

    HARISH KAPASI

    4/5

    Great unimaginable experience, Mansi had taken lots of effort and care of us during the whole process. Surely recommending my experience to lot many people.

    City : MUMBAI
  • RK

    Rukmini kadam

    4/5

    I would like to sincerely appreciate Miss. Muskan Gulati. She helped us beyond her limits. Superb support from her.

    City : PUNE
  • NA

    Narender

    5/5

    No comments it's my first time with prestine I am happy

    City : DELHI
  • KA

    Kanakarao

    5/5

    Super

    City : HYDERABAD
  • HD

    heerawati devi

    5/5

    Nice

    City : DELHI
  • SP

    Suresh Prasad Singh

    5/5

    Having a very good and helping attitude of the doctor giving great soothing effect to the patient.Very talented and profetional..

    City : PUNE