Help! My Vision Went Cloudy After Cataract Surgery

Laser cataract surgery can take as little as five minutes and could improve your vision for the rest of your life. But what should you do if your vision goes cloudy again? 

Board-certified ophthalmologist Vicki Lin, MD, at iSight Vision Care in Fountain Valley and Huntington Beach, California, offers treatment for this issue. Dr. Lin specializes in using in-office lasers to perform cataract surgery and treat cataract surgery complications. 

Here’s what you should know about how cataract surgery works, why you may experience cloudy vision again afterward, and how it can be corrected.

Understanding cataract surgery

Cataract surgery replaces the lens of your eye (the clear covering) with a clear intraocular lens (IOL). Dr. Lin removes the clouded cataract lens using the LenSx Femtosecond Laser, a highly precise device that works quickly to separate the tissue. 

IOLs come in several varieties to meet your needs, including monofocal (single-distance) or multifocal (multiple distances) options. Dr. Lin helps you decide on an IOL that will make life easier after laser cataract surgery.

In many cases, cataract surgery restores clear vision permanently. But occasionally, due to complications, additional surgery is needed. 

Causes of cloudy vision after cataract surgery

Cloudiness can show up shortly after surgery or years later. In any case, you should contact your ophthalmologist right away. 

In most cases, cloudy vision after cataract surgery develops because of a condition called posterior capsular opacification (PCO) or secondary cataract. This happens when the lens capsule surrounding your IOL gets cloudy, similar to your original lens.

The most common cause of PCO is original lens cells left over after surgery that collect on your lens capsule. The process is called epithelial cell migration. 

In addition to cloudy vision, you might develop other symptoms like light sensitivity or trouble reading fine print. 

What to do about cloudy vision after cataract surgery

PCO won’t go away on its own, which is why it’s important to give Dr. Lin a call. 

Dr. Lin performs a laser surgery called YAG capsulotomy to improve your vision after an initial cataract surgery that led to PCO. The five-minute corrective surgery involves using a laser to create a tiny hole in the clouded part of your IOL, which allows light to pass through. 

After YAG capsulotomy, you can expect your vision to be clearer in about a day. You might see floaters in your visual field for a week after that, but they dissolve over time. 

It’s extremely rare to experience PCO after a second cataract surgery. In this case, YAG capsulotomy can treat the condition again. 

Get in touch

Don’t ignore cloudiness or other vision changes that arise after cataract surgery, even if it’s been years. Call iSight Vision Care or request an appointment online to learn about in-office lasers to treat PCO.