Can Cataracts Recur?

Cataracts are common in older people, and in 2010, surgeons usually correct them using an ultrasound procedure called phacoemulsification. The National Eye Institute reports improved vision in 90 percent of patients following this operation. However, some people experience further problems.

Complications

• Cataracts cannot recur, according to the National Institute for the Blind (U.K.), since during cataract surgery a plastic lens called an intraocular implant is inserted to replace the original clouded lens. However the capsule of tissue that holds the lens in place may thicken, resulting in sight deterioration months or years after surgery.

Treatment

• A surgeon can correct thickening of the lens capsule with a simple, painless procedure called YAG laser capsulotomy. Using a low-energy laser, he cuts a very small hole in the capsule, which allows light to pass through while leaving the rest of the capsule intact to hold the new lens in position.

Considerations

• Lasting about 15 minutes and usually performed under local anaesthetic, the YAG laser capsulotomy restores most patients' vision to how it was after their original surgery. The National Health Service (U.K.) gives an estimated 2-percent risk of complications, which they regard as very low.