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- In rare cases, there can be complications to cataract surgery such as loss of vision, bleeding, double vision, and infection. Inflammation and fluctuating eye pressure can be a side effect of this surgery as well. While instances of side effects are documented, it should be said that they happen rarely.
- Retinal detachment: Retinal detachment is a condition that occurs when fluid seeps through a tear in the retina. The seepage causes the retina to detach from the back of the eye. While cataract surgery is not the only cause of retinal detachment, it occurs in approximately 0.5% of cataract surgery patients. Retinal detachment may be caused by trauma, advanced diabetes, or an inflammatory disorder. Retinal detachment also occurs in individuals who have had previous eye surgeries and who are extremely nearsighted. Symptoms of retinal detachment are flashes of light or dark spots in the field of vision. Some of these symptoms occur naturally after cataract surgery, but individuals who experience them should contact their doctors immediately. Another symptom that requires immediate medical attention is a shadow that seems to move across part of or the entire field of vision.
- Cystoid macula edema: Cystoid macula edema (swelling) is decreased vision in the central part of the visual field due to swelling in the layer of nerve cells that covers the entire back part of the eye, called the retina. The macula is the part of the retina that responds to light in the central part of the visual field. After cataract surgery that has had no complications, the blood vessels in the retina can swell and leak. As the fluid accumulates, the macula may swell. As time progresses after cataract surgery and the individual notices decreased vision, they should contact a doctor and tests can be done, such as ocular coherence tomography, to determine the extent of the swelling.
- Endophthalmitus: Endophthalmitus is an infection inside of the eye. Symptoms include pain and excessive redness and swelling, sensitivity to light, and perhaps loss of vision. Usually, these symptoms reveal themselves within the first few days after surgery. Antibiotic eye drops are administered the day of surgery to prevent infection. In spite of this, one in 3,000 patients undergoing cataract surgery develops endophthalmitis.
- Choroidal hemorrhage: Choroidal hemorrhage is when the choroid, the web of fine blood vessels that supplies blood to the retina, begins to bleed during surgery. It usually occurs in older individuals or individuals who have high blood pressure or glaucoma. A hemorrhage confined to a small area will have very little visual loss but if the hemorrhage is severe, then significant visual loss may occur. Modern micro surgical techniques rely on small incisions; the severity of hemorrhages has reduced dramatically.
- Secondary cataracts: Secondary cataracts develop years after cataract surgery. A secondary cataract results in the clouding of the back of the lens capsule. This is the part of the lens that wasn't removed during the first surgery and that supports the lens implant (IOL). This condition can also be called 'aftercataracts' and posterior capsule opafication. The problem is treated quickly and simply with a laser called yttrium-aluminum-garnet, or YAG for short. It is a quick and painless procedure that usually takes less than five minutes to complete. The individual can resume normal activity within hours.
- Blindness: According to estimates, age-related cataracts are responsible for 48% of world blindness, which represents about 18 million people. Cataracts are a leading cause of blindness among older adults in the United States.
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