Cataract Surgery Glare

Question: I am a 57 yr old woman who had cataract surgery in my left eye on December 5, 2012 and around December 15, 2012, I noticed daytime and nighttime glare in the left eye. What is causing the glare in my left eye? What procedure(s) can be done to correct the glare in the left eye and how soon can it be done?

Answer: There are many reasons that you might be experiencing glare after your cataract surgery and lens implant procedure. It is really not possible to know what is causing the glare without a clinical exam. You do not specify the type of lens implant used to correct your vision which also could contribute to the glare. Some things to consider are residual inflammation, any compromise of the posterior lens capsule which has been left in place to support the lens implant, swelling or irregularity of the cornea and even a remote possibility of mild swelling of the retina. Your best course of action is to return to your Cataract Surgeon and express your concern regarding the glare. After  an examination he or she will be able to tell you whether the  glare you are experiencing is part of the  healing process and thus transient or in fact needs medical, laser or surgical intervention.

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.

Lens Implant Problem?

Question: I had Cataract Surgery about 3 months ago in my left eye and then the following month on the right eye. The left eye was very bad and my surgeon asked my husband and myself if I had taken a blow to the face or head that would have caused this to develop so quickly..No I didn't. Everything was fine until last week when I went swimming and jumped in the water---when I got out I noticed a new floater that was shaped like a backwards "c" and was very dark compared to the other floaters that I have had for years. I have a relative who works for an eye doctor and called her. She said to get the the Cataract Surgeon because the very end part of the implant DOES have a piece on it like a backwards "c". My surgeon said that it had NOTHING to do with the surgery and that it could happen to anyone at my age (64). I also told him that if it is dark I have flashes of light from the left part of my left eye. He said that it would go away in 6 weeks . It is still the same after 2 weeks. Should I go to get another opinion? Is it possible that a piece of the implant became loose and is floating?


Answer: It is highly unlikely that the Lens Implant became dislocated and floating for many reasons-not the least of which is that would GREATLY disturb your vision and would be completely visible to your Cataract Surgeon. it is not possible to say for sure but the symptoms you are complaining of are consistent with a Vitreous Detachment and/or a Retinal Tear which may have occurred with the Vitreous Detachment. Assuming that your Cataract Surgeon thoroughly examined your Retina when you presented him or her with these complaints then they would see either of these problems. Now...jumping into a swimming pool may have caused this to happen if it caused a firm blow to your head or face...which could have happened. The floater symptoms and the flashes typically do in fact go away after some time without any treatment whatsoever if it is a Vitreous Detachment. However this can take more than 6 weeks in some cases. if you are uncomfortable with the diagnosis and explanation given to you by your Cataract Surgeon then it is not inappropriate to seek a second opinion with a top Cataract Surgeon to be reassured.

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 of 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.

Lens Exchange after Cataract Surgery

Question: I am a 53-year-old male who had cataract surgery in one eye in March 2011. Prior to the surgery I was near-sighted in both eyes, about -2.75, with some astigmatism. I discussed the replacement lens with one of the doctors, and we decided they'd try to get the vision as close to "perfect" in that eye as possible. Four months after surgery, I am now far-sighted in the eye with the replacement lens, +1.25. Because of this, I no longer have the option of wearing glasses, and must now wear contacts. This can be extremely inconvenient at times for various reasons, including the fact that my seasonal allergies can make it uncomfortable to wear contacts. I'm thinking of asking my surgeon if we could redo the surgery to replace the lens so I am not far-sighted in that eye, so that I have the option of wearing glasses. Would a second surgery be advisable? Would it be unreasonable for me to expect them to "fix" this free of charge? It seems like a bit of a mistake on their part to leave me +1.25 with the new lens when I'm -2.75 in the other eye. Thanks for your help.


Answer: While the precision of the calculations for Lens Implants with Cataract Surgery is generally quite good, occasionally due to some unpredictable factors the actual result is not as planned. In your case the unplanned residual refractive error and magnitude of the inequality between eyes necessitates wearing a contact lens correction in order to achieve good vision correction. There are three options that are available to assuming your eyes are healthy. You can continue to wear the contact lens correction as you are doing but that does not seem satisfactory. You can also discuss having a Lens Exchange with your Cataract Surgeon in order to get closer to a more symmetrical refractive error in each eye which would allow you to wear glasses to see clearly at distance. This is done with some regularity with patients who have this type of situation. Last, you can discuss with your Cataract Surgeon the possibility if having a LASIK Surgery procedure in the -2.75 D eye with a planned overcorrection so that both eyes were +1.25 and would necessitate the wearing of glasses for both far and near.

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 of 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.

Choosing a Lens Implant

Question: I have a cataract in one eye and I am considering which type of lens implant to choose. Before the cataract developed my vision required that I wear glasses for distance vision and I do not have a need for astigmatism correction. The cataract drastically changed the vision in my eye before it became too impaired to see, so that my near vision was 20/20 uncorrected. I am starting to have problems reading with my glasses and choose not to use them for up close reading as I am getting older-I am 45. Am I a good candidate for multifocal lenses? If I choose a single focus, would the best focus be at/near my most recent vision or matching my other eye?

Answer: Choosing a Lens Implant really depends on the types of activities you wish to be able to have clarity for after Cataract Surgery without being dependent or even possibly requiring glasses. If you choose a monofocal IOL you will have some distances that you will have to wear glasses for-either far or near-at your choice and based on discussion with your Cataract Surgeon. In order to be "glasses free" for the vast majority of activities after Cataract Surgery as you were prior to the formation of the Cataract, you would be best served by selecting a multifocal lens implant. However, you need to know that having a multifocal IOL in only one eye does not allow you to achieve the best possible results and if you are in need of myopic or nearsighted correction for the other eye this will still require eyeglasses. In discussion with your Cataract Surgeon you should determine whether there is the beginning of a Cataract in the other eye and if not would he or she recommend a Clear Lens Extraction and implantation of a multifocal in the other eye as well.

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 of 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.