What could go wrong during cataract surgery?

Cataract surgery is one of the safest, most common, and most successful modern surgical procedures. Over 4 million will be performed this year alone. But that is not the same as saying it is perfectly routine and risk-free! Any surgical procedure, no matter how expertly performed or how dependable the patient is in following post-op instructions, has a small potential to "go wrong" -with no negligence involved.

The risks fall into two categories: 1) physiological problems such as infection, hemorrhage, or exaggerated inflammatory response. While these are mostly treatable, it is remotely possible they could permanently damage a patient's vision in a way that no glasses or contacts could remedy. 2) Undesirable visual/optical side-effects. No intraocular lens (IOL) available today can handle focusing of an image as well as the natural lens you had used to be able to. Even with 20/20 vision post-op, there could be bothersome -or even debilitating- night vision glare or distortions as compared to the vision a patient might have had when young before the cataract developed. As fast as lens implant technology improves, patient expectations rise even faster.

None of this is meant to dissuade a suitable patient from having an IOL procedure such as cataract surgery. But it should be a part of the patient's education and a component in the decision to proceed.

Written by J. Trevor Woodhams, M.D. - Chief of Surgery, Woodhams Eye Clinic