Cataract Surgery
percent of patients after cataract surgery. It is more common when there has been a complication during cataract surgery. The 3 main symptoms to look for are flashing lights, floaters, and a shadow or curtain obscuring your field of vision. If you notice any of these symptoms review is required, without delay. Retinal detachment will cause blindness if the retina is not put back into place, in a timely manner. A retinal detachment can only be treated with retinal detachment surgery. This surgery has a high success rate but your vision may be worse than before. Lens dislocation: Usually, the stability of the implanted lens in the eye is lifelong. There is no requirement to remove or to replace the lens, unless specifically indicated. However, on rare occasions, the capsular bag stability may weaken, resulting in lens subluxation (part of the lens is still in the correct location) or dislocation (entire lens is no longer in the correct position). The risk of this happening is higher in eyes following complicated cataract surgery, prior eye trauma and pre-existing eye conditions such as Pseudoexfoliation Syndrome. Treatment depends on how much the lens has moved, how much vision is affected and whether there is damage to other ocular tissues. If there is mild subluxation, and you are still able to see reasonably clearly, then there is no need to intervene. If the entire lens has dislocated, you will generally require surgery to remove the displaced lens and to replace it with a new one. Swelling of the cornea (corneal decompensation). Mild corneal oedema is expected after surgery; this is generally transient and will settle after a few weeks or so. Rarely, the oedema remains persistent and requires corneal graft surgery to improve vision.
WHO CAN I CONTACT IF I’M HAVING PROBLEMS? In case of emergency, it is possible to access an eye specialist 24 hours a day in South Australia.
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