Common Cataract Surgery Complications

Cataract is not a disease. Instead, it is a condition whereby the crystalline lens in the eye develops a clouding or opaqueness. This reduces the amount of light that reaches the retina. It ends up causing a person to experience foggy or hazy vision. The condition will get worse as time passes. The causes of cataracts include aging, prescription drugs, eye trauma or an ongoing medical condition.

Cataracts are treated using surgical removal methods. This is a very common treatment and it has a ninety five percent success rate. There are risks however. Some may develop fluctuating eye pressure, bleeding, infection, inflammation, double vision and loss of vision. There are some common temporary risks that may be corrected with time and then more serious risks. The more common and temporary of the cataract surgery complications include:

Cataract Surgery Complications: Itchiness, Stickiness, and Pain

*Itchiness to the white of the eyes with some redness.

*Stickiness to the eyes in general, along with itchiness. The patient may experience blurry vision for awhile after the procedure.

* Some patients feel pain in their eyes for about a week to two weeks

* Some may have eyelids that ache.

Cataract Surgery Complication: Rip of the Lens

A more serious cataract surgery complication is when the lens behind an eye rips during a surgery. This will cause damage to vision. The doctor must perform another surgery to take away the cataract.

Two types of cataract surgery procedures done today. One is the phacoemulsification surgery and the other is known as extracapsular surgery procedure.

Cataract Surgery Complication: Posterior Capsular Opacification

The phacoemulsication surgery requires a lens capsule or casing to be left in the eye for the benefit of placing an intraocular lens into it. After surgery, one of the more common complications may be that the capsule would become cloudy and develop another cataract within a two year time frame. This complication is termed "posterior capsular opacification". The cataract must then be treated with laser surgery. Other familiar cataract surgery complications are discussed below.

Cataract Surgery Complication: Retinal Detachment

This condition occurs when fluid enters through a tear to the retina. The retina ends up becoming detached from the backside of the eye.

Cataract Surgery Complication: Choroidal Hemmorrhage

Choroids are a web of small blood vessels that supply blood to the retina. Choroidal Hemmorrage is when this web of vessels bleed in the surgery. This may happen to older patients or people who suffer from glaucoma.

Gavin Sanderson is an established freelance writer. You can find more of his writing at cataractzone.com and lasik-central.com.