Cataract Surgery - Risks and Benefits

Getting older brings with it its fair share of challenges. There are always problems that pop up when you’re older that you never had when you were younger, such as having to deal with aching joints and sleeping problems. Another common problem that older people often have to deal with is cataracts, which can impair vision. Cataracts are when the lens of the eye starts to cloud up and makes it difficult for people to see. This cloudiness can affect a person’s daily routine and can make it harder for them to be independent.

The easiest way to get rid of cataracts is to undergo cataract surgery. This eye surgery is a procedure in which an eye surgeon actually cuts into the eye to remove the cloudy part of the lens, replacing it with a synthetic lens that allows the patient to be able to see clearly again.

There are many benefits to undergoing cataract surgery, but there are a number of risks involved in the surgery as well. While 95 percent of cataract surgeries go perfectly, there are a small percentage of patients who wind up with unfavorable results. One of the most common problems after cataract surgery is known as endophthalmitis. This is an infection that occurs because of the surgery. Surgeons generally use antibiotic drops to help keep infection at bay, but occasionally one will surface.

Another possible problem is known as cystoids macular edema. This is when an inflammation causes the retinal blood vessels to leak fluid, which can decrease the patient’s vision. This can be treated with anti-inflammatory eye drops which will improve the situation over a length of time. A more serious complication of this eye surgery is retinal detachment. This can happen when liquid gets through a fine tear in the retina, causing it to separate from the back wall of the eye. If this occurs, it can be a very serious problem.

While there are risks to cataract surgery, the numbers show that most people who get this eye surgery wind up with clear vision again, making it something that is generally worth the risk.

To learn more about cataracts and cataract surgery as well as LASIK laser vision correction, custom LASIK, iLASIK™, ReZoom™ intraocular lenses (IOLs), and more, it is important to visit the LASIK surgeons at our LASIK laser eye surgery office in Long Island.