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Cataract surgery complications
Complications after cataract surgery are few, and cataract surgery is considered one of the most common and successful surgeries performed today with over 99% success without serious complications after surgery. However, every procedure and surgery has the potential to be complicated and it is important to know both the common side effects as well as the rare complications before making a decision about surgery.
Before the operation, a pre-operative assessment is performed in which the doctor will find out if there are any general and ocular background diseases, regular medication and general lifestyle of the patient so that the operation will be adapted to the needs and the specific medical condition of the candidate for surgery. The surgery itself is short, actually lasts about half an hour and is done under local anesthesia. Prophylactic antibiotics will usually be given and sometimes also drops to lower the intraocular pressure.
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Side effects after cataract surgery
There are common and normal side effects that are related to the surgery itself and are expected to pass within a few days, including:
Feeling of discomfort in the eye, blurred vision, itching and redness in the eyes, dryness, irritation or feeling of a foreign body in the eye, swelling of the eye or its surroundings, sensitivity to light and a halo effect around bright lights.
One day after the operation, you should come to the surgeon’s office for a check-up, he will remove the eye shield that was placed after the operation and will assess already at this stage the presence of complications and the progress of the healing.
There are several symptoms that may indicate complications and require urgent medical examination.
The sooner the potential complications are detected after the operation, the better the possibility of intervention and the final result.
If you experience a sudden decrease in vision, redness in or around the eye that lasts for more than two days, persistent light sensitivity, discharge from the eye, pain that does not go away, fever, nausea and vomiting, the sudden appearance of floating bodies in the field of vision or flashing lights, a “shadow” or “curtain” in the field of vision Peripheral, you must return to the doctor for a medical evaluation.
Cataract surgery possible complications
Eye inflammation – the condition is more common in cases where the cataract was particularly large or dense.
The vision will remain hazy or blurry after the surgery, but this is a situation that can be solved by anti-inflammatory eye drops that will lead to an improvement in the swelling within a few days, and with it a gradual improvement in vision.
Glare after cataract surgery – sensitivity to light can be part of normal side effects after surgery, but if the sensitivity is prolonged it may indicate dryness or inflammation.
Extreme sensitivity can be a sign of infection or iritis, a condition that can be treated with steroid eye drops.
Sunglasses help in dealing with the glare, but at the same time, an inquiry must be made and make sure that it is not a complication that requires intervention.
Photopsia – seeing flashes of light or floating bodies, caused by vitreous detachment (when the gel inside the eye separates from the retina).
These symptoms tend to pass within a few months, but in extreme cases an intervention is necessary, such as a vitrectomy – surgery to replace the gel that solves the problem.
B Macular goiter after cataract surgery – a common condition caused by fluid accumulation in the macula, tends to appear up to 8 weeks after surgery.
The macula is the central part of the retina at the back of the eye.
Sometimes after surgery blood vessels in the retina leak and the fluid causes blurred vision.
The condition can be treated by topical steroids (drops) and is expected to pass within a few months, but requires follow-up by the attending physician.
Dislocation of the intraocular lens (IOL) – a condition that occurs when the new lens implant does not sit properly inside the capsular bag of the eye that is supposed to hold it in place, or the capsule is torn. The symptoms that can appear are double vision or seeing the edge of the lens that has moved.
This is a rare complication that can be corrected by immediate surgery, which will usually result in good results.
Intraocular infection after surgery – endophthalmitis. It is an infection inside the eyeball and its symptoms include pain, redness in the eyes and visual disturbance.
The treatment of endophthalmitis includes injecting antibiotics directly into the eye, and it is important to start the treatment as early as possible, as there is a risk of permanent vision loss.
The infection may appear even if all precautions were taken during the operation and it was performed in a sterile manner.
Retinal tear or separation – this complication tends to appear more in young patients, and is the result of the retina moving away from the back of the eye.
The symptoms of this condition can be the appearance of a “curtain” or “shadow” in the field of vision, the appearance of new floating bodies (or worsening of existing bodies) or flashes of light.
Immediate surgery is required to repair the tear or reattach the retina, and this complication may also result in vision loss.
