The most frequent complications of cataract surgery are the following:
- Intraocular infectious inflammation that could result in loss of sight in the operated eye in the worst case. The frequency of this complication nowadays is approximately 1:10,000.
- The corneal damage – the likelihood depends upon the condition of the cornea before surgery.
- Cataract surgery may promote the detachment of the retina, which is a very severe eye disease and needs surgical treatment. Your doctor will explain this probability to you, depending upon the condition of your eye.
- Complicated surgery can cause other eye diseases (e.g. secondary glaucoma).
- Accompanying eye diseases or systemic diseases (diabetes, hypertension, and coagulation disorders) increase operation risks.
- Your eye may need longer postoperative therapy or even a new operation after complicated surgery.
- After a successful operation a certain proportion of patients will develop dimming of the lens capsule sooner or later, which causes a decrease in visual acuity. This condition can be treated with a special laser and does not require new surgery.