What happens if my vision becomes cloudy again after cataract surgery?

After cataract surgery, your vision can get cloudy again - this is because the intraocular lens that was implanted in your eye could get 'cloudy' or 'dirty' with time. This happens because our body's cells may proliferate and 'grow' on the intraocular lens to make it less clear than before. This happens in 50% of people about 1-5 years after cataract surgery.

Fortunately, it usually happens only once in your lifetime and can be rectified easily with a quick 5-minute, non-invasive, painless laser procedure that 'polishes' or 'cleans' the lens to make it clear again. This laser procedure can be done in our clinic and is fully claimable from Medisave/Medishield depending on your insurance plan. Simply, have a chat with your eye doctor to assess if you require this.

Hope this helps!

Dr Claudine Pang

D2D. Patients experiencing cloudy vision again after cataract surgery are likely to have posterior capsular opacities or “after cataracts”. This refers to the regeneration of cells along the “bag” or membrane that is left behind to contain the intraocular lens.

This is not a complication from the initial cataract surgery, but it can happen to some patients months or years after a successful cataract surgery.

This condition can be managed effectively by undergoing a laser procedure known as YAG capsulotomy. YAG capsulotomy is a quick and effective procedure without the need for fasting and has a very short down time. Recovery is very quick and vision can improve on the same day the procedure is performed.

It is important that any patient with cloudy vision consult an eye surgeon and have a complete eye examination done to ensure that there are no other problems with the eye apart from having posterior capsular opacities.