Eye surgery patient. Image 1 of 2. Old man before cataract surgery. His eye has been injected with a paralysing agent prior to surgery, and the ball over his right eye has been tied in place to apply pressure and reduce any swelling. This patient is being treated in a remote rural region of Kenya, and no local or general anaesthetics are available. The patient has been blinded by a cataract, an abnormal cloudy and opaque area that can form in the lens of an eye. A cataract operation involves cutting the cornea (at the front of the eye), removing the cloudy lens, and replacing it with a plastic fixed-focus lens. Photographed as part of work by the UK charity MEAK (Medical and Educational Aid to Kenya). For the same patient after surgery, see M935/274.