Cataract Surgery and Lens Implant Surprise

Question: I had cataract surgery and a lens implant on my right eye 2 months ago. Before surgery, I was farsighted in this eye. Now I am profoundly nearsighted and need glasses for any distance vision at all. The distance vision is markedly worse than before the surgery. What could have caused this? Was the "wrong" IOL implanted? Was the IOL the right one but displaced from the original site in the capsule? Any other possibilities?


Answer: The measurement and computation of the Lens Implant (IOL) power for Cataract Surgery is actually quite complex and depends on the interaction of many factors. Most likely what has happened here is a "refractive surprise" in that the measurements and calculations performed during your Cataract examination, for whatever reason, did not fall within the statistical norms of the calculation. This resulted in "surprise" with regard to the refractive outcome. In you case it does not sound as if it is even close to being satisfactory and thus you need to discuss the options with your Cataract Surgeon. These may include a Lens Implant Exchange or even a LASIK Surgery procedure depending on the overall health and condition of your eyes. In any event, if you are not happy with the result it is time to discuss this with your doctor.

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