Cataract surgery is the most common elective surgery in the United States. Every day there are several thousand cataract surgeries and most outcomes are excellent. Modern cataract surgery is a very safe operation, but there are complications that can happen that patients should be aware of.

One of the most common cataract complications is blurry vision after cataract surgery. Sometimes referred to as a secondary cataract, this blurry vision is often caused by posterior capsule opacity. When a cataract is removed, the bag that surrounds it can often become opacified, which causes the same sort of blurry vision as before the cataract surgery. This is very common and can be treated very easily by the cataract surgeon.

To treat this blurry vision after cataract surgery, surgeons will often use a laser to move the hazy capsule out of the line of sight. This procedure is very quick and is often preformed in the surgeon’s office. Typically a laser after cataract surgery is painless and there are few if any restrictions after.

Another cataract surgery complication is a dislocated IOL. An IOL is the lens that is implanted after the cataract lens is removed from the eye. Sometimes the edge of the IOL is visible and this can cause blurry or double vision. Sometimes, when the capsular bag that the lens is implanted in breaks, this can cause the lens to become dislocated. When a lens become dislocated it can often be fixed with a follow up surgery to reposition it. If this is not possible, the lens can also be removed, or explanted.

Cataract surgery has another complication that can occur, usually with the newer premium lenses. It is becoming more common that with multifocal lenses patients are experiencing glare or halo’s at night. In the past, incorrect lens calculations were the main reason for cataract IOL’s to be explanted. Today, with the use of multifocal lenses becoming more and more popular, glare and other visual effects are becoming more common as well. This is quickly becoming the main reason some multifocal lenses are removed.

Overall, cataract surgery is very safe and most often has no complications. Always speak with your cataract surgeon about your specific case and any complications that the surgeon may feel there is a risk for. Every cataract surgery is different and only your surgeon can answer specific questions about your case.