Are There Risks I Should Be Concerned About?
You can be reassured that modern cataract surgery is a very safe and effective procedure. When you talk to your friends and family members, you mainly hear that most people had great experiences with their surgery and see clearly afterwards. However, rare sight-threatening complications can occur. One of the worst complications is a severe infection. Fortunately this occurs in less than one-in-500 surgeries. If caught early an infection usually can be treated without leading to vision loss.
Several problems could result in the need for additional surgeries in the weeks or months after your cataract surgery. Less than one-in 100 people require a repeat surgery because of problems with an initial cataract procedure. These include a retinal detachment, cataract fragments retained in the eye, poor position of the lens, or an incorrect lens power.
- With a retinal detachment the retina peels off the inside of the eye like much like wallpaper peeling off of a wall. If this occurs a retinal specialist needs to reattach the retina.
- If pieces of the cataract break off and are not completely removed from the eye during your surgery a trip back to the operating room may be required to remove those pieces.
- The new lens is held in place with a very thin membrane. If that membrane has any tears or areas of weakness, the lens may not stay in a perfect location. If the lens shifts a considerable amount you may need another surgery to reposition the artificial lens.
- Complex math equations and detailed measurements are used to help your doctor determine which power lens to put back in your eye when your cataract is removed. Because of errors in these measurements or lens choice there are rare circumstances where a lens that is too weak or too strong is placed in your eye. If this occurs you may need a surgery to put in a better lens.
Other problems may occur that are treated with topical eye medications. These include swelling in the retina or cornea, elevated eye pressure, or redness or irritation. If you have specific questions about any of these possible complications, please write them down to review with your doctor at one of your office visits.
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