When Cataracts Occur after LASIK
December 14th, 2016
When consulting with an experienced cataract surgeon, it is not recommended to have LASIK if there are signs of early cataracts. However, it is known and relayed by your surgeon that one of the risks of LASIK is the early development of cataracts. Not everyone will develop a cataract, as it is only a risk. Although some of the first LASIK patients have developed cataracts, the methods have become much more advanced over time.
However, those that have developed cataracts from earlier LASIK procedures need to know that there is help available to fix the problem. There are some challenges, such as it being more difficult to choose an artificial lens, but patients have options.
Cataract Surgery after LASIK
Having LASIK surgery previously can make it more difficult to select an artificial lens. Different methods can make the selection more precise, but the degree of accuracy can vary from patient to patient. To make the measurement as accurate as possible, multiple tests can be performed to determine what the proper lens type may be. The average of the test results is used to make the selection. This increases the accuracy so the success rate of cataract surgery after LASIK is also increased. Pre-LASIK measurements are also considered.
Fortunately, having an experienced cataract surgeon helps increase the accuracy of the measurement, as well as the success of the surgery. When you can’t see properly, it is important to have the issue corrected. Allowing a cataract to remain can cause many other problems later, including loss of sight in the affected eye.
Why Cataract Surgery Is Possible after LASIK
It is possible to have cataract surgery after LASIK, though for a long time, people thought that they couldn’t have the surgery if they’d had LASIK. The key is making sure your surgeon is provided with the correct information about your eyes from before having LASIK.
Cataract surgery is possible after LASIK because the procedure is performed on the cornea. A laser reshapes the cornea so it will refract light rays in a way that makes them focus better on the retina. When successful, the result is improved vision.
Cataract surgery isn’t performed on the cornea. Instead, it is performed on the eye’s natural lens inside the eye. The lens is found behind the iris, or colored part, of the eye. When a cataract forms, this lens becomes cloudy, and that keeps light from passing through the eye. When the artificial lens replaces the clouded lens, light can pass through and a person can see more clearly.
It is true that a person who hasn’t had LASIK surgery can have a more straightforward cataract surgery. However, it is not true that a person who has had vision correction surgery can’t have cataract surgery. It would be devastating for cataract removal to not be an option because cataracts can take away the vision that a person paid to have corrected.
