One study showed that of 221,000 cataract surgery patients, 99.5 percent had no serious complications after their surgery.
According to the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ASCRS), three million Americans undergo cataract surgery each year, with an overall success rate of 98 percent or higher. Though cataract surgery is highly successful, complications can arise.
In some cases, cataract surgery may not be effective, and you may continue to have vision problems or worse vision after surgery. This is rare, but it's more common in people who had other eye conditions beyond cataracts even before surgery.
A long-term consequence of cataract surgery is posterior capsular opacification (PCO). PCO is the most common complication of cataract surgery.
Risks of surgery
The risk of serious complications developing as a result of cataract surgery is estimated at around 1 in 50 cases.
Sometimes blurry vision is caused by PCO, a fairly common complication that can occur weeks, months or (more frequently) years after cataract surgery. It happens when the lens capsule, the membrane that holds your new, intraocular lens in place, becomes hazy or wrinkled and starts to cloud vision.
To fix it, you need a procedure called YAG laser capsulotomy. Your doctor uses a laser to create a hole in the back of the lens capsule. That lets light pass through so you can see normally.
A posterior subcapsular cataract often interferes with your reading vision, reduces your vision in bright light, and causes glare or halos around lights at night. These types of cataracts tend to progress faster than other types do.
In most people, cataracts start developing around age 60, and the average age for cataract surgery in the United States is 73.
Cataract surgery improves your vision by removing the lens and replacing it with an IOL. But it's not always a one-and-done deal. While it's true that cataracts don't “grow back” over time, you may develop a secondary cataract after the surgery.
Occasionally, cataract surgery fails to improve vision because of underlying eye damage from other conditions, such as glaucoma or macular degeneration. If possible, it may be beneficial to evaluate and treat other eye problems before making the decision to have cataract surgery.
The lens does not move after cataract surgery. However, the lens might dislocate if there was a posterior capsular rupture or damaged zonules during the surgery and the lens could not be adequately supported during surgery.
Posterior Capsular Opacification
PCO can cause blurry or distorted vision. This condition is fairly common for patients receiving cataract surgery. Approximately 20% of patients experience PCO within 2–5 years of their procedure. However, a quick surgery known as posterior capsulotomy can help restore your vision.
Laser-assisted cataract surgery is the latest and most advanced method of performing cataract surgery. And many ophthalmologists prefer laser cataract surgery over traditional cataract surgery as a pre-treatment to “soften” cataracts.
Many people assume that cataract surgery will give them "perfect" 20/20 vision, but this isn't always the case. In fact, some people may still need glasses or contacts to see clearly after surgery. But this doesn't mean the procedure isn't worth it!.
Whether vision achieves 20/20 depends on many factors, including accuracy of the biometry measurements of the eye, the strength of the implanted intraocular lens, pre-existing health of the eye including the retina and the cornea, and the postoperative course.
These side effects usually improve within a few days, but it can take 4 to 6 weeks to recover fully. If you need new glasses, you will not be able to order them until your eye has completely healed, usually after 6 weeks.
Doctors suggest winter as a good time to get the surgery done as the season can help you recover quickly. But it is not really stringent, all you need to keep in mind is if the vision is getting excessively blurred and your daily activities are getting hampered, then get the cataract removed as soon as possible.
Typically, most cataract procedures are performed after the age of 60 due to the aging process, however some patients may develop cataracts earlier around age 50. It is not uncommon to see cataracts in very young patients in their teens and 20's for various reasons.
People with dark brown eyes have the greatest risk of developing cataracts. An Australian study found that the risk can be up to 2.5 times greater for certain types of cataracts. Researchers suspect the reason is similar to wearing a black shirt in the middle of summer.
Studies have suggested that the antioxidants in whole grains and fresh fruits and vegetables may reduce the risk and progression of cataracts. Carrots, in particular, nourish the eyes with beta-carotene, which converts to vitamin A. Carbohydrates are not good for the eyes or the body.
Anisometropia is another way of describing an imbalance between the two eyes. This can sometimes happen following surgery, as your brain tries to adjust to the changes in your vision. Cataract surgery involves replacing the natural lens of your eye with an artificial one.
Cataract surgery can be redone, most commonly after a problem occurs with the lens implant from the original procedure. Cataract surgery entails removing the natural lens material and replacing it with an artificial lens implant designed to match the patient's approximate prescription.
In general, after cataract surgery people do not need glasses for distance viewing– this means for activities such as driving, golf or watching TV, you should not need to continue wearing glasses. However, in many circumstances people still may need glasses for reading or near work.
Your lens is held in place by delicate fibers called zonules. If you've had an eye lens replacement for cataract surgery or refractive lens exchange, your intraocular lens implant (IOL) is held in place by a small sac and these thin fibers.