Complications of Cataract Surgery After Lasik Surgery

More and more people are taking advantage of LASIK surgery to free them from wearing contact lenses and glasses. However, some who have had LASIK surgery may have vision problems after undergoing cataract surgery.

• eye

LASIK Surgery

• During LASIK the shape of the cornea (the membrane that covers the pupil and iris) is changed. When performed correctly, LASIK eye surgery will produce a sharper and clearer vision.

Cataract Surgery

• Over time, everyone develops cataracts (cloudiness in the lens of the eye) including those who have had LASIK surgery. During cataract surgery the natural lens of the eye is removed and an artificial lens is inserted. When done correctly the result is clearer vision.

Problems with Cataract Surgery after LASIK

• During LASIK surgery the shape of the cornea is sculpted and reshaped. Due to the altered shape of the cornea, it is difficult to assess the degree of power needed for the artificial lens that is inserted during cataract surgery. In some cases, the patient's vision will be out of focus, requiring additional surgeries. The difficulty lies in the fact that the lens power needed is measured too high after LASIK. The incorrect measurement means that the patient must return for repeated procedures to correct the deviation.

New Ways to Calculate Lens Power after LASIK

• A 2009 article in the Journal of Cataract & Refractive Surgery reports success with a new way to calculate the artificial lens power needed for LASIK patients having cataract surgery. During the cataract surgery, and after the cataract removal, the patient is taken out of the operating room to perform what's called a manifest refraction to determine the lens power needed.

  About 30 minutes after removing the cataract, the doctor performs two measurements on the patient's eyes called an automated retinoscopy and manifest aphakic refraction. From this information and performing other calculations the correct lens power can be determined and inserted. Surgeons have up to three weeks to replace the lens in the eye, so calculations can be done at a later time if the surgeon is not comfortable with the immediate measurement.

Improvements to Come with More Surgeries

• As more LASIK patients undergo cataract surgery, eye surgeons will gain more insight into the techniques and methods that work best. With more patients and data from surgeries, they can refine their formulas for measuring the required power of the lens, and improve accuracy and clarity of vision.