Complications of Cataract Surgery

Cataract surgery is eye surgery in which all or part of the lens is removed and replaced with an intraocular lens implant. As with any surgery, a patient should be aware of possible complications of cataract surgery prior to undergoing the procedure.

PCO

• One of the most common complications of cataract surgery is PCO or posterior capsule opacity. This can be noticed because of cloudy or blurry vision. PCO is treated safely and without pain through a procedure called YAG laser capsulotomy.

Fact

• Twenty percent of patients with intact posterior capsules have capsule haziness in which the vision is blurry.

Prostate Drug Complication

• Prostate drugs, such as alpha blockers (tamsulosin, Flomax) relax prostate muscles to aid the bladder in emptying, but can affect the muscles in the iris. During cataract surgery, the pupil of the eye can constrict suddenly, which could hamper the surgeon's success of the procedure.

Dislocated Intraocular Lens

• Another possible cataract-surgery complication is a dislocated or malpositioned lens. A patient may have double vision or be able to see the edge of the lens implant. A bad lens dislocation could decrease vision quite a bit.

Other Complications

• Additional cataract surgery complications include eye inflammation, eye infection or vision loss, although vision loss is a rare risk. The most common and minor complications that usually clear up in time include: cornea or retina swelling, ptosis (droopy eyelid); and intraocular pressure (increased eye pressure).