LASIK and Cataract Surgery

Today, more and more people are undergoing LASIK surgery to free their dependence of glasses and contacts. LASIK, short for Laser Assisted In-situ Keratomileusis, is a procedure to reshape your cornea to produce vision that is crisp and clear. However, there is a chance that patients who have undergone LASIK surgery may experience vision problems after undergoing cataract surgery.

Eyes.com is dedicated to providing comprehensive information about LASIK and cataract surgery and will help you find an ophthalmologist to meet your needs.

About Cataract Surgery

As you age, chances are that you will develop cataracts-- a clouding of your eye’s lens. Even patients who have had LASIK surgery will likely experience cataracts. Cataract surgery involves removing your eye’s natural lens and replacing it with an artificial or intraocular lens (IOL). The result is clear, crisp vision.

Problems with Cataract Surgery after LASIK

Because LASIK surgery involves the reshaping of your cornea, it is difficult to judge the degree of power needed for the IOL that is implanted during cataract surgery. An experienced eye surgeon can approximate the changes caused by LASIK surgery through formulas and by reviewing your eye history. Therefore, make sure you tell your cataract surgeon if you have undergone LASIK so he or she makes the correct adjustments to your cornea.

For some LASIK patients, vision may be permanently out of focus following cataract surgery if the incorrect measurements are taken. This condition will require additional surgeries to restore ideal vision.

New Method of Calculating Lens Power after LASIK

A new method of calculating your lens power following LASIK surgery was highlighted in a 2009 article in the Journal of Cataract & Refractive Surgery. About 30 minutes after removing the cataract, the patient is taken out of the operating room to perform a “manifest refraction” to determine the lens power needed. This involves two measurements of your eye: an automated retinoscopy and manifest aphakic refraction. Calculations are then made from this information to determine the appropriate lens power.

To find an ophthalmologist in your area, please visit eyes.com today.