removed during cataract surgery. These lenses increased in popularity since the 1960s, but it was not until 1981 that the first U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for this type of product was issued. The development of IOLs was an innovation, as patients previously did not have their natural lens replaced and as a result had to wear very thick eyeglasses or a special type of contact lenses. IOLs can be selected to correct other vision problems, such as toric lenses for correcting astigmatism. IOLs can be classified as monofocal, toric, and multifocal lenses. In 1967, Charles Kelman introduced phacoemulsification, a technique that uses ultrasonic energy to emulsify the nucleus of the crystalline lens in order to remove the cataracts by aspiration without a large incision. This method of surgery decreased the need for an extended hospital stay and made out-patient surgery the standard. Patients who undergo cataract surgery hardly complain of pain or even discomfort during the procedure. However patients who have topical anesthesia, rather than peribulbar block anesthesia, may experience some discomfort. Ophthalmic viscosurgical devices (OVDs) were introduced in 1972, and facilitated the procedure, as well as improving safety. An OVD is a viscoelastic solution, a gel-like substance used to maintain the shape of the eye at reduced pressure and to protect the inside structure and tissues of the eye without interfering with the operation. In the early 1980s Danielle Aron-Rosa and colleagues introduced the neodymium:yttrium-aluminum-garnet laser|neodymium:yttrium-aluminum-garnet (Nd:YAG) laser for posterior capsulotomy. Thomas Mazzocco developed the first foldable IOL and implanted it in 1985. Graham Barrett and associates pioneered the use of silicone, acrylics, and hydrogel lenses. According to Cionni et al 2006, Kimiya Shimizu began removing cataracts using topical anesthesia in the late 1980s, though Davis, 2016, attributes the introduction of topical anesthetics to Fischman in 1993. Toric intraocular lenses were introduced in 1992 and are used worldwide to correct corneal astigmatism during cataract surgery. They have been FDA approved since 1998. According to surveys of members of the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery, approximately 2.85 million cataract procedures were performed in the United States during 2004 and 2.79 million in 2005. As of 2021, approximately 4 million cataract procedures take place annually in the U.S. and nearly 28 million worldwide, a large proportion in India. That is about 75,000 procedures per day globally. Regional practice and statistics United Kingdom In the UK the