Cataracts

Most patients do well after cataract surgery provided they adhere to postoperative instructions and medication regimens.

Regular eye examination will detect any cataract development in the other eye. Many patients receiving a monofocal lens need a spectacle correction to achieve their best acuity following cataract surgery.

Patients may develop a gradual opacification of the posterior capsule that can reduce the patient's vision (secondary cataract). If the vision reduction is significant, an opening can be made in the posterior capsule with a neodymium-doped yttrium aluminium garnet (Nd:YAG) laser. Once a capsular opening has been made, the capsule will not regenerate and a second treatment is rarely necessary. Various lens edge designs try to inhibit this process.