Laser Cataract Surgery after RK and Retinal Detachment

Question: I've had Radial Keratotomy (RK) surgery and detached Retinas in both eyes.Would it be best if I have Laser Cataract Surgery?

Answer: Cataract Surgery after RK is made more complicated not so much by the need to make any modifications in the Cataract operation itself, but in requiring more detailed measurements and calculations for selecting the proper intraocular lens implant (IOL) power to help you achieve the best possible vision. The fact that you have detached Retinas in both eyes may prompt your Cataract Surgeon to arrange a preoperative consultation with a Retina Surgeon just to be sure that your Retinas are reasonably intact and stable before your cataract Surgery procedure-with or without Laser Cataract Surgery. The use of the Femtosecond laser to perform Laser Cataract Surgery is a new technique that allows the surgeon to direct the laser to perform several of the most technically difficult steps of Cataract Surgery rather than doing them manually. This has some promise of greater precision than manual Cataract Surgery for these steps but does not necessarily provide any greater safety profile for someone who has had RK and detached Retinas. Thus, if you have Cataracts that are starting to impair your vision to where it is impacting your ability to safely and comfortably conduct your daily activities, there is not necessarily any reason to wait to have Laser Cataract Surgery. The results of modern Cataract Surgery today are quite good. Your next step is to find a top Cataract Surgeon who is also a Refractive Surgeon as these combined skill and experience sets will be required for your consultation and measurements which are likely to be a bit more complex than routine Cataract Surgery.


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