LASIK after Cataract Surgery-Should I Have to Pay?

Question: I had cataract surgery for the left eye a month ago with a lens implant. However, my vision is still no better, if not worse than before surgery.  The cataract surgeon said this was due to a technical miscalculation of the lens strength and might necessitate repeating the procedure, or having the LASIKsurgeon do a correction, as I had LASIK surgery 14 years ago. ( There were no problems for the cataract surgery of my right eye from 2 years ago). My question is, should the fees for surgery correction be waived, as I already paid almost $3000 for the new lens implant which didn't achieve the goal? 

Answer: Patients who have previously had any type of corneal surgery-especially LASIK-require meticulous advanced technology imaging and calculations in order to have precise lens implant power calculations. Even in the most perfect measurement situations, there is often induced calculation error as a result of the previous LASIK surgery and corneal curvature and thickness changes that have been made. Thus, just because you had a relatively uneventful first eye cataract surgery and lens implant operation, it is still not unexpected to experience calculation difficulties. In general there are two possible surgical approaches to correct residual refractive errors when the lens implant is not providing the targeted refractive outcome-LASIK or a Lens Implant Exchange. You do not indicate whether you are overcorrected or undercorrected and we do not know whether your cornea has sufficient tissue and ocular surface health to withstand another LASIK procedure-thus you may or may not be able to have LASIK. Depending on whether your cataract surgery was otherwise uneventful, a lens implant exchange might be a better option. This will really depend on the general condition of your eye. In either case, it would be important to have a thorough examination and consultation and then follow the recommendation of your cataract surgeon. You, or your insurance, should expect to pay for either procedure. Surgery-especially in previously operated eyes-does not come with a guarantee.

Important Note: The information presented on the About Cataract Surgery Blog or provided in response to a request for information in the Ask Cataract Surgeons section on aboutcataractsurgery.com is not intended to diagnose or treat eye problems, eye conditions or eye diseases including appropriateness of treatment, risks, complications or side effects as related to Cataracts, Cataract Surgery or Lens Implants. In particular a response to an inquiry made on the Ask Cataract Surgeons section of aboutcataractsurgery.com is not meant to take the place of the professional medical care provided by your eye doctor, ophthalmologist and Cataract Surgeon. Contacting us via e-mail or any other means is not a substitute for medical care.

Light Adjustable Lens (LAL) Implant for Cataract Surgery

Obtaining the best vision after Cataract Surgery depends on the skill of the Cataract Surgeon both before and during the Cataract operation. In the future it may require his or her skill before, during and after a Cataract procedure. Here is why. It is obvious why surgeon skill is critical during the procedure. However, taking the proper Intraocular Lens Implant (IOL) measurements BEFORE the surgery is also a critical part of the successful visual correction of Cataract Surgery. Patients who have had previous eye surgery such as a Corneal Transplant or LASIK Surgery sometimes are not able to have the most reliable measurement taken and thus require a mild eyeglass prescription after surgery. In the future, a new type of Lens Implant called a Light Adjustable Lens (LAL) may prove to be quite useful to these patients. The LAL allows the Cataract Surgeon to use a laser to adjust the final prescription of the lens implant in order to achieve the best possible vision. By applying the skill of the surgeon to the LAL after the Cataract Surgery it will be possible to "fine tune" the Cataract vision correction and help patients achieve their best.

Cataract Surgery Considerations

With the "greying" of America causing a demographic shift in our population, more and more people will come of the age where learning about Cataract Surgery is important. The number of "baby boomers" who have entered and will enter the 55+ group is creating a need for for people to become aware of the inpact of cataracts of how modern cataract surgery can help them retain and enjoy the lifestyle they have become used to. While cataracts can affect vision as we get older, catatact surgery and advanced technology lens implants can help to preserve and maintain access to the daily activities and freedom that good vision provides. Take time to learn about cataracts and cataract surgery by visiting http://www.aboutcataractsurgery.com/ or if you are considering other types of Laser Eye Surgery such as LASIK to help correct your vision, visit http://www.seewithlasik.com/ to learn about Laser Vision Correction.