Laser Treatment for Cataracts

By the age of 80, more than half of all Americans develop cataracts, according to Prevent Blindness America. Cataracts are a clouding of the lens on the eye that require surgical removal to prevent blindness.

Primary Cataracts

• Primary or first cataracts cannot be removed using laser treatments. Instead, doctors remove the affected lens and replace it with an artificial lens.

Secondary Cataracts

• In approximately 40 percent of patients, the lens installed during cataract surgery becomes foggy or cloudy, according to St. Luke's Cataracts and Laser Institute. This condition is known as a secondary cataract or posterior capsular haze.

Solution

• A specialized procedure known as a YAG Laser Capsulotomy is a common treatment for secondary cataracts. During this treatment, a specialized laser removes the fogging on the artificial lens, restoring normal vision.

Time Frame

• Laser treatment for secondary cataracts may be needed a few months to several years after your cataract surgery. YAG Laser Capsulotomy treatments to repair secondary cataracts typically require only two minutes to complete.

Risks

• The main risk of YAG Laser Capsulotomy is that of retinal detachment, an injury where the retinal nerve separates from the back of the eye. Retinal detachment occurs in only 2 percent of patients who undergo YAG Laser Capsulotomy, according to All About Vision.