Cataract surgery is the most common operation in the UK. It’s usually safe and successful. The chances of having a serious complication are very low. The risk of having complications that could affect your sight in the long term is even lower.
However, any type of surgery has risks. Your clinical team will explain these to you.
The most common complication is posterior capsule opacification (PCO). PCO is when your lens capsule, which holds your new lens in place, becomes cloudy.
PCO can happen weeks, months or years after surgery and can make vision cloudy again. If this happens, you will usually be offered a simple laser procedure to make your sight clear again. About 1 in 3 people will develop PCO within 5 years of their cataract surgery.
Cataract surgery often increases eye pressure for a few days following surgery. In most people, this returns to normal without treatment. For some people the short term pressure rise can cause discomfort and may need treatment, usually with tablets or eye drops for a few days until the pressure reduces to the normal level.
It is very rare for the pressure to remain high for more than a few days after surgery. In the long-term, cataract surgery usually reduces eye pressure compared to before surgery.
There are some very rare but serious complications that may occur which can put your vision at risk. The chance of this happening is approximately one in 1,000. These include:
- retinal detachment
- problems with the position of the lens implant
- a break in the lens capsule
- infection.
