What Is a Secondary Cataract (Posterior Capsular Opacification) What Can Be Done to Improve Vision?

One of the most common byproducts of cataract surgery is posterior capsular opacification (also referred to as a secondary cataract). This causes cloudy or fuzzy vision and sensitivity to light, affecting your sight and ability to drive and do other daily activities.

At Orange County Cataract and Glaucoma, Anand Bhatt, MD, specializes in treating secondary cataracts. The in-office YAG laser allows him to quickly and safely restore clear vision. This blog explains how secondary cataracts form and how YAG laser treatment helps.

What is posterior capsular opacification?

Posterior capsular opacification occurs when the lens capsule — a thin membrane that surrounds your eyes’ lens and gives it its shape — becomes clouded after cataract surgery. The clouding is caused by epithelial cells, a natural part of the body’s healing process, growing on the back of the lens capsule.

Nearly half of people who have cataract surgery get secondary cataracts within five years of the procedure. Anyone can develop them, but people with eye conditions, such as uveitis and glaucoma, and those who are younger at the time of surgery may have a higher risk.

Symptoms of secondary cataracts

Cataract surgery restores clear vision, but you may have secondary cataracts if you notice a sudden change in your eyesight. Telltale signs include:

• Sensitivity to light
• Difficulty reading
• Cloudy, blurred, or fuzzy vision
• The feeling you’re looking through frosted glass

Sometimes, secondary cataracts cause glare and halos around lights.

How posterior capsular opacification is diagnosed

To diagnose posterior capsular opacification, we review your medical records and ask about your symptoms, including when you first noticed a change in your vision and if they’re worse at certain times, like when driving at night.

Next, we complete a thorough eye exam, including a slit-lamp exam. A slit-lamp exam uses a powerful microscope and a focused light beam to inspect your cornea, iris, and lens. This lets us check for clouding around the lens and helps guide treatment.

Secondary cataract treatment with the YAG laser

The best, most efficient way to treat secondary cataracts is a procedure called YAG laser capsulotomy. This minimally invasive surgery takes less than five minutes and restores clear vision almost immediately.

Before treatment, we numb your eyes with special drops. Then, we use a YAG laser — a type of laser designed to reach deep layers of tissue — to make a small hole in the epithelial cells at the back of your lens capsule. This lets light pass through your intraocular lens, restoring your eyesight to how it was after cataract surgery.

Following surgery, it’s normal to see floaters in your vision for several weeks. However, they will naturally dissolve over time.

Is a YAG laser capsulotomy safe?

YAG laser capsulotomy is considered safe and usually well-tolerated. Most people return to work and other activities within a day of the procedure. Like any surgery, potential complications can arise but this rarely happens. These complications may include retinal detachment, increased eye pressure, and intraocular lens (IOL) dislocation.

Schedule secondary cataract treatment today!

Dr. Bhatt and his team at Orange County Cataract and Glaucoma know secondary cataracts can have a major impact on your quality of life. The good news is that YAG laser capsulotomy can restore your vision quickly and safely.

Schedule a consultation today by calling our office in Santa Ana, California, at 714-541-4185 or using the online booking feature.