Vision Disturbances After Cataract Surgery? What You Should Know

When you have been diagnosed with cataracts and gone through all of the treatments for them, up to and including surgery, you may hope and expect that all of your vision problems are behind you. However, in the aftermath of your cataract surgery, whether soon after or many years down the road, you may experience trouble with your vision again. Get to know some of the reasons that you may have vision troubles after cataract surgery and what you can and should do about it.

Right After Surgery, Blurry Vision Is Normal

First and foremost, it is important to understand that when you go home after your cataract surgery, some blurry vision is to be expected. After all, eye tissue is quite sensitive, and your eye is now healing from surgery. You may have stitches or other incision closures to deal with, and the eye will need time to adjust to the healing process and the new lens.

However, within a few days after your surgery, your vision should start to improve. If it does not or if your vision gets worse instead of better, contact the eye surgeon (ophthalmologist) that performed the procedure. There may be an unforeseen complication with your cataract removal or with your new lens that needs to be corrected.

You May Still Have Other Eye Conditions

Just because you had your cataract removed does not mean that all of your vision problems have been eradicated. If you also have glaucoma or other conditions that are known to disturb the vision, you may still have eye issues left to deal with.

However, your vision should improve after your cataract surgery. After a month to two months, you will likely need to head to your optometrist to have an eye and vision exam and get your corrective lens prescription adjusted to suit your new vision needs. It is likely that you will still need corrective lenses after surgery though, and this is important to remember. 

A Film Can Develop Under Your New Lens

Most people do not have significant complications when they have cataract surgery, but there are some complications that can occur over time. One such complication is the growth or development of a film over the artificial lens that has been implanted to replace the one with the cataract.

This film generally occurs in the form of a capsule and is known as posterior capsule opacification. It can make the vision seem blurry or cloudy, making it difficult to see and can even make a person think that their cataract came back. However, cataracts cannot reoccur after the lens has been replaced, and the capsule that develops behind the new lens can be destroyed through laser surgery, restoring vision to normal.

With these factors in mind, you can be sure that you properly handle any vision disturbances you may experience after cataract surgery so that you can see as well as possible and enjoy the benefits of your cataract removal. Talk to an eye doctor for more information.