Cataract Surgery Complications: what to expect and how to deal with them 

The vast majority of cataract operations go according to plan and without complications. However, as with any invasive procedure, there is always an element of risk. These include both risks during the surgery itself and those that could happen afterward.

It’s important to stress that, even if you are one of the small minority who suffers a complication during or after surgery, in virtually 100% of cases this is treatable. After all, cataract surgery is the most commonly performed operation on the planet, with millions being carried out each year.

Everything You Need to Know about Potential Cataract Surgery Complications

• Complications during surgery
• Post-surgery complications 

Complications during surgery

The main risk of a complication during surgery is trauma to the eye and the surrounding tissues. This is greater if you have any other underlying structural damage to the eye, perhaps caused by macular degeneration or glaucoma.

If you do have one of these conditions, your surgeon will carefully evaluate your individual risk. They’ll likely treat this condition first. Once this has improved, then you’ll be advised when it’s appropriate for a cataract procedure to take place.

Post-surgery complications

Post-surgery, potential complications are:

• Swelling and inflammation
• Post-op bleeding
• Infection
• Blurred vision

• Retinal detachment
• Dislocation of the artificial lens              
• Drooping eyelid
• Secondary cataract

The first four are very normal during the recovery period and will rectify over the first few days or weeks. Other, more serious, complications are very, very rare—less than 0.5 of a percent. With that in mind, let’s look at how complications are rectified.

• Swelling and inflammation are usually short-lived, reducing over the first few days after surgery. All you need to do is continue your post-op care as instructed, ensuring you keep the eye clean, use your eye drops, and don’t carry out any strenuous activities.
• Any post-op bleeding will usually be within the first 24-48 hours—and you’ll have your follow-up appointment with your ophthalmologist within this time. Again, if it does occur, it’s likely to be minor and you’ll just see it as bruising, which will fade over a few days.
• If the eye becomes infected, your surgeon will treat this with antibiotics. The best way to prevent this is to be meticulous with your cleaning, use your eye drops, and don’t touch the eye area with unwashed hands.
• Blurred vision is, again, a common issue in the first few days after the op. This usually rectifies itself over a few days or weeks and doesn’t require any interaction from your surgeon.

• Retinal detachment is a rare complication that requires intervention. If you experience any sudden appearance of floaters, flashes of light, or notice a shadow encroaching your vision from the top or side, then you should seek assistance straight away.
• A lens dislocation is when the artificial lens shifts from its placement. It is very rare but will require a further operation to re-site or change the lens.
• A drooping eyelid is rare and in the majority of cases rectifies itself over a few days or weeks. A tiny number of cases require surgery to put it right.
• A secondary cataract is an incorrect term for the return of cataract symptoms at any time (months or years) after surgery. Vision once again blurs, colors fade, you might see halos around lights, etc. However, it’s not another cataract—it’s a condition known as posterior capsule opacification. It happens if a few cells of the original cataract remain in the eye and begin to clump together and prevent the direct passage of light through the eye. It’s easily sorted by a one-off, 5-minute procedure, known as YAG laser.

Find Out How the Modern Cataract Surgery Clinic Reduces the Risk of Cataract Surgery Complications

The key to minimizing the risk of cataract surgery complications is to seek out the ultimate surgical procedure. Because some people have an elevated level of risk (for example, those with diabetes or another systemic health condition), it’s vital that such people partner with a specialist.

There are so many advanced techniques on offer today that have increased the accuracy of IOL placement and have reduced the level of tissue trauma that occurs during the procedure. The Modern Cataract Surgery Clinic is a world-leading medical facility that offers the very latest procedures, with the expertise to skillfully perform cataract surgery on even the most complicated of patients.

Discover more https://www.moderncataractsurgery.com and call today to book a consultation.