Symptoms of Dislocated Lens After Cataract Surgery

A dislocated lens after cataract surgery is pretty rare, affecting anywhere between 0.5%-3% of people who undergo the procedure. It can occur at any time after the operation—from mere days through to many afterward.

There are various reasons that a dislocated lens can occur and your ophthalmologist has plenty of options when it comes to treating it.

Everything You Need to Know about a Dislocated Lens After Cataract Surgery

• What does it feel like?
• Why does it happen?
• Is it dangerous?

What does it feel like?

In the vast majority of cases, a dislocated lens doesn’t cause any pain. Instead, you might experience vision issues, such as blurring or seeing double. If it’s shifted dramatically, you might be able to see the edge of the intraocular lens. Very rarely, a dislocated lens can cause trauma to the eye. This could result in bleeding, watering, redness, or pink eye, or perhaps the feeling that you’ve got some grit or something in your eye. If the eye becomes inflamed, then you might feel some pain.

Why does it happen?

In most cases of lens dislocation, there’s an underlying cause. Eye trauma is one, but the most common issue is due to infection and inflammation. This is known as uveitis and it causes the eye tissues to swell. This puts pressure on the lens which makes it shift out of position.

Other, less common, reasons behind a dislocated lens include:

• Having had prior surgery to the eye.
• Problems with the lens capsule within the eye that make it unstable (a condition known as pseudoexfoliation syndrome)
• Being significantly short-sighted.
• Having a medical condition that affects the connective tissues of the body.

Is it dangerous?

Generally, no. However, a dislocated lens can occur in conjunction with retinal detachment—a sight-threatening condition where the thin layer of cells at the back of the eye begins to peel away. Symptoms of this include:

• A dark curtain intruding across your field of vision.
• The appearance of floaters.
• Bright flashes of light.

If you experience any of these then this is a medical emergency that needs immediate assessment.

How is a Dislocated Lens After Cataract Surgery Treated?

• Treatment options

Treatment options

Treatment will depend on the severity of the dislocation. If it’s only very slight and doesn’t interfere with your vision, your ophthalmologist will probably just monitor it at your regular eye exams. If it’s causing eyesight problems then there are two surgical treatment options available: Repositioning the lens or exchanging it for a new one.

The right course of action will depend on the amount the lens has shifted and the unique anatomy of your eye. In some cases, monitoring might be advised in the short-term, with a further operation possibly being needed if the lens should shift further or begin to create significant problems with your eyesight.

Worried About a Dislocated Lens? Contact the Modern Cataract Surgery Clinic Today

If you’re having issues with your cataract lens—no matter how long it might have been since you had the operation—then you’re naturally going to be concerned and want the best treatment to fix it. At the Modern Cataract Surgery Clinic, the specialist branch of the world-renowned West Boca Eye Center, you can rest assured that your cataract treatment is in the best of hands. 

Don’t worry a moment longer… Contact our friendly team today and let’s put your mind at rest. Whether you need a procedure to right the movement or monitoring over time, you can rest assured that there’s no better place in the US to look after your eyesight.

Head to https://www.moderncataractsurgery.com for more information.