10 Steps to Seeing Anew: Your Essential Guide to Cataract Surgery Success

7. Posterior Capsule Opacification

The most common complication that follows cataract surgery is posterior capsule opacification. This complication may be referred to as a secondary cataract. However, this is not the case. After surgery, the patient's vision should be clear. Unfortunately, this complication changes that. It causes the posterior part of the lens capsule to become hazy. The reason that this happens is that leftover cells grow over the back of the capsule. This growth thickens the capsule and makes it become cloudy. This will happen over time and results in blurry vision. Some patients may have issues with glare and bright lights. In most cases, posterior capsule opacification occurs in a few months or years after patients receive cataract surgery. Certain patients are more likely to experience this complication. Younger patients are more likely to develop it. In addition, eye inflammation and conditions such as retinitis pigmentosa also increase an individual's risk. However, even without risk factors, posterior capsule opacification is common. It occurs in approximately twenty percent of all patients who receive cataract surgery. Thankfully, laser treatment can cure this complication.

8. Recovery Process

Patients may experience blurry vision in the first few days after their cataract surgery. Visual performance in a patient who has just had cataract surgery should improve within five days. Most patients report colors are brighter and more defined after they have had their cataracts removed. Patients should expect Itchiness and mild discomfort during the first few days after cataract surgery. They should avoid touching, rubbing, or pushing on their eye for five days following their procedure. Most individuals must wear a patch over their eye for the rest of the day and when sleeping for a week. Prescription eye drops may be given to a patient who has had cataract surgery to help prevent the development of a post-procedural infection in the eye. Eye drops may also be prescribed to keep the pressure inside of the eye at an acceptable level and reduce inflammation in the eye. It takes around eight weeks for a patient to recover fully from their cataract surgery. Patients may need to get prescription glasses between one and three months following their cataract surgery.