Can a Cataract Come Back?
Because a cataract is a clouding or “opacification” of the natural lens, and cataract surgery entails removal of the natural lens, a cataract cannot come back after surgery. Fortunately, artificial lenses do not form cataracts.
Read Paul and Dorothy Johnson’s Personal Story, Told by Their Daughter
Read Paul and Dorothy Johnson’s story, written by their adult daughter. Dorothy had cataracts and Paul had macular degeneration and diabetes. Learn how the Johnsons and their daughter made the decision to live together in their daughter’s home. “Truly,” says their daughter, “the five years I had with them at the end of their lives were a happy, rewarding time for all of us.”
Learn more about helpful and easy adaptations for at-home daily living skills:
- Organizing and labeling your clothing
- Managing your medication
- Adaptations to help with laundry
- Check out our Getting Started Kit for more ideas to help you live well with low vision.
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Capsular Opacification
However, the lens capsule, which is the small “sac” or membrane that once enclosed the natural lens and held it in place, can become cloudy after surgery. This is called capsular opacification and it develops in approximately 25% of patients after cataract surgery.
If this occurs, the patient may develop symptoms that are similar to those of a cataract, such as blurry or hazy vision, difficulty reading regular print, and sensitivity to bright lights and glare.
Posterior capsular opacification is treated with a laser to create an opening in the center of the opacified lens capsule that allows light to enter the eye. The procedure is painless, requires less than five minutes, and is usually performed in the doctor’s office.