Can a Cataract Come Back after Cataract Surgery?
- Posted on: Jul 27 2018
Dr. Gregory Pamel has been asked quite a few times whether cataracts can come back after being removed. The short answer is no, cataracts cannot come back after surgery. But the explanation is more nuanced than that. Read on as Dr. Pamel addresses cataracts and secondary cataracts.
Cataracts Cannot Return after Surgery
Cataract surgery involves breaking up a natural lens that has become clouded or opacified with age. The pieces of the lens are removed from the lens capsule, which is a clear “bag” or membrane. The lens is then replaced with an artificial lens, which restores clear vision and focus. Artificial lenses cannot form cataracts.
Capsular Opacification
With that said, even after surgery a fraction of cataract surgery patients can experience symptoms similar to those of a cataract. These symptoms can include blurry or hazy vision, glare, sensitivity to light and difficulty reading. Some people notice starbursts or halos around lights in addition to blurry vision.
In these cases, what has happened is that the lens capsule, or membrane that once held the natural lens and now holds the artificial lens, has lost its clarity and acquired a grayish haze. This can happen months or even years after cataract surgery. Since the symptoms of capsular opacification are so similar to that of a cataract, someone may assume that a cataract has returned. This may be referred to as a “secondary cataract.”
Luckily, capsular opacification can be corrected during a quick, in-office procedure. A YAG laser is used to create a small opening in the center of the lens capsule, letting light enter the eye and improving cloudy or blurry vision without affecting the other parts of the eye. This outpatient procedure, called YAG laser capsulotomy, takes about five minutes and is virtually painless. Most patients can resume their normal activities almost immediately after the procedure.
Contact Our Practice Today
For more information about cataracts or capsular opacification, Dr. Pamel is happy to speak with you. He can go into more detail about the symptoms of a secondary cataract and how he treats the condition. Please call (212) 355-2215 or email Pamel Vision and Laser Group today.
Posted in: Cataract Surgery
