YAG Laser Capsulotomy is a quick painless laser treatment that you might need sometime after cataract surgery. It helps you see clearly if your vision becomes cloudy again. When you have cataract surgery, we remove your eye’s cloudy lens and replace it with a clear, artificial intraocular lens (IOL). The IOL is held in place in the eye’s natural lens capsule. Weeks, months, or years later, this capsule can become cloudy or wrinkled, causing blurry vision.
This is called Posterior Capsule Opacification (PCO) and is sometimes called a “secondary cataract” or “scar tissue.” With YAG Laser Capsulotomy, we make an opening in the cloudy capsule and allow light to pass through again for clear vision.
What Happens During YAG Laser Capsulotomy?
Most often we do this right in the comfort and convenience of our office taking about 5 minutes in total:
- Eyedrops will be placed in your eye to numb it, and if necessary, dilate the pupil.
- The laser will be focused on the cloudy lens capsule and several pulses applied to gently create a small opening.
- Once your vision is clear after the procedure, you can usually do all of your normal daily activities, but may need to have someone drive you home, and occasionally we might limit your activities for a day or so.
- You may need to use eyedrop medicine for one week after the surgery.
- If you have no other eye problems affecting your vision, your vision should improve in about 24 hours.