Blur Shortly after Cataract Surgery

Question: On January 17, 2012, I had cataract surgery and a Tecnis® Multifocal Lens Implant IOL implanted in my right eye. Since then I have had a uniform, universal blurring of my vision. This persists at any distance or at any light level, both central and peripheral. I can see these wonderful new images of color, brightness, contrast and definition but they are blurred, just as if they are out of focus. Consequently, I cannot drive or read. I have normal eyes and have never had any abnormality or disease except the inevitable presbyopia and then cataracts. My strong gut feeling is that the lens is the wrong dioptric power. What are your suggestions?


Answer: While it is possible that the Lens Implant is the incorrect dioptric power, it may be that other factors are causing the blurry vision. Although it is really impossible to speculate without an examination or additional clinical information, there are a few potential causes to be considered. If the blur were due to refractive error caused by an off power implant, it is not likely that the blur would be uniform-there would most likely be distances at which the vision were clearer-maybe. It is possible that the IOL is slightly off position. One must determine the condition and the transparency of the posterior lens capsule left in place by your Cataract Surgeon to support the IOL. While the post op timeframe would be considered pretty short for posterior capsular opacification to occur, it may be that the capsule is cloudy. A careful Retina exam with specific examination of the Macula needs to be performed to rule out Cystoid Macular Edema which typically occurs within the 90 day post op period. At this time you need to return to your Cataract Surgeon, promptly, to allow the proper diagnosis and remediation as there are a number of possibilities that need to be ruled out.

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