Eyelid Blepharitis & Cataract Surgery

Question: My wife had cataract surgery on both eyes in June 2011. To this day her eyes water, burn, pinch and get red. She had follow appointments and complained about this problem and her cataract surgeon said that skin flakes from her eyelids caused this problem. She washed and cleaned her eyelids many, many times but no improvement. Would it be wise to get a second opinion? Could this be a possible side affect? Please advise.


Answer: The description of your wife's eyelid problems and discomfort suggest that it is possible that she has some type of blepharitis or eyelid inflammation that may be contributing to her complaints. This is not really a side effect of Cataract Surgery and is most likely completely unrelated. However, if this is the problem, either her Cataract Surgeon or another eye surgeon should be able to carefully diagnose the cause and provide some form effective therapy which might include a number of options in addition to simply washing the eyelids. It is never inappropriate to get a second opinion if you are uncomfortable. In this situation it might be worthwhile seeking a consultation with an eye doctor who is a Corneal Specialist also trained in External Diseases.

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