Patients with uveitis (inflammatory eye disease) often develop cataracts (clouding of the lens of the eye) that can impair eyesight. Cataracts can be removed surgically, and this is usually done when poor vision interferes with adequate daily functioning, or when the lens becomes too cloudy to evaluate the level of eye inflammation in uveitis-information needed to adjust medication dosages. After surgery, vision is corrected with special eyeglasses, contact lenses, or intraocular lenses (IOL). IOLs are small, plastic artificial lenses permanently placed inside the eye.