text:  Over time, this becomes an increasingly visually significant cataract, essentially the clouding of the eye. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says there's an estimated 20.5% of Americans over the age of 40 with a cataract in one or both eyes, and more than 6 million have had their lens removed by surgery. Surgeries, while common, are not without risks. There's always a chance for infection after an operation, but you do get post-op eye drops and other instructions to help avoid that.