Cataract Surgery
Nowadays, most people need to perform cataract surgery for improving their vision. See an eye surgeon in case there are any complications after the procedure.
There are innumerable people who need to perform cataract surgery successfully every year. So, cataract surgery complications are comparatively rare. Probable cataract complications are the following:
- Posterior capsule opacity or PCO
- Eye inflammation
- Intraocular lens dislocation
- Photopsia or perceived light flashes
- Ptosis or droopy eyelids
- Light sensitivity
- Ocular hypertension or elevated eye pressure
- Macular edema or swelling of the central retina
When there are complications with cataract surgery, most of them are minor and can be treated successfully either medically or with further surgery.
Posterior capsule opacity
Among the common cataract, complications is a posterior capsule opacity which is also known as posterior capsule opacification or PCO. Though some people might call PCO a “secondary cataract,” it is not at all a cataract. After the cataract gets removed, it will not occur again.
During the cataract surgery, your surgeon removes the cloudy natural lens of the eye and then replaces it by using an intraocular lens or IOL. The thin clear membrane surrounding the natural lens or lens capsule is left intact in the process.
However, in most cases, the lens capsule will be clear after the cataract surgery. In rare cases, the posterior portion of capsule turns hazy and this posterior capsule opacification may take place during cataract surgery recovery or after months later.
How to treat posterior capsule opacification
Luckily, PCO can be treated effectively through a process known as a YAG laser capsulotomy. In this method, a hole will be formed in the central zone of the cloudy capsule and vision can be restored soon.
The three steps to a YAG laser capsulotomy are the following:
- Eye drops are used for diluting the pipes that allow the eye doctors to view the entire lens capsule.
- The laser removes an unclear posterior capsule from the line of sight without touching the eye or forming an incision.
- Medicated eye drops can be applied after the process to avoid further inflammation.
The method requires only a few minutes and involves minimal pain with it.
After a YAG laser capsulotomy, you can continue with your normal activities soon. You might experience some floaters later though these generally resolve within a few weeks.
Most people may expect their vision will improve within a day. You may see your eye doctor immediately in case the vision fails to improve or worsens after laser capsulotomy.
As the YAG laser removes the central zone of the cloudy posterior capsule behind the intraocular lens, this condition will not return. Thus, one laser treatment is needed only to lessen vision loss permanently that occurs due to PCO after the cataract surgery in London.
Risks of YAG laser capsulotomy
The complications from a YAG laser capsulotomy are generally rare. However, the process may increase the risk of retinal detachment to a certain degree. According to research, the lifetime risk of a detached retina during a cataract surgery complication is almost 1 percent. The risk increases to nearly 2 percent in case cataract surgery is followed through a YAG laser capsulotomy.
Dislocated IOL
Another probable cataract surgery complication is a dislocated intraocular lens or IOL. This may be the reason for vision problems like double vision.
IOL dislocations are hardly found but once they take place, your eye surgeon at the best cataract surgery clinic in the UK may reposition it surgically. In certain cases, the implant should be sewn in place to protect it or it might be removed and then replaced by using different IOL.
Other complications with cataract surgery
There are other complications with cataract surgery that may start from inflammation to complete vision loss. The risk of severe vision loss is extremely rare and may take place due to some kind of bleeding or infection in the eyes.
Some complications with cataract surgery take place a long time after the process is done. For example, the detached retina may take months or years after cataract surgery has been done successfully. If you suddenly start seeing flashes of light (retinal detachment symptoms) or floaters at any time after the cataract surgery, visit your eye surgeon right away.
Other probable complications associated with cataract surgery consist of the following:
- Swelling of the retina or cornea
- Droopy eyelid ptosis
- Increased pressure in your eyes or ocular hypertension
If you find any of these or other unusual symptoms after the cataract surgery, it is advised to see your eye doctor at Optimal Vision for further evaluation and necessary treatment.
Vision problems after the cataract surgery
If you find any problem with the sensitivity to sunlight after your cataract surgery, then wear eyeglasses having photochromic lenses that darken automatically to UV rays and generally offer some relief to the eyes.
In the case of presbyopia and residual refractive error after the surgery, progressive lenses that have anti-reflective coating usually improve your vision for certain activities like reading and driving at night.
People who do not improve their vision even after cataract surgery usually have underlying eye problems such as diabetic retinopathy, macular degeneration related to age, and other eye conditions. Hence, it is extremely important to perform routine eye examinations after cataract surgery and assess the health condition of your eyes for improving your vision.
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