During cataract surgery, if a person does not replace the lens with an IOL, can they still see with glasses?

Question

Is there a reason why someone can not have an artificial lens implanted? Would there ever be nerve pain associated with an implant?

Can they get cataracts again with or without the lens replacement?

Answer 1

An IOL..  IS an artificial lens that replaces the real lens of the eye after it is removed.

Back in the days before IOL's were used, post cataract patients had very thick glasses  to make up for the missing power of the lens of the eye.

After the lens of the eye is removed ( where the cataract is) ...it can never come back...you can only have cataracts once in each eye.

Most people have very good vision without glasses after it is done , although some do require a small correction to fine tune their vision. And reading glasses are pretty well always needed too.

Answer 2

You have asked four questions.

1) If you do not have an IOL implanted you will see VERY poorly after surgery without glasses.

2) Yes.  If a patient is very young, sometimes the surgeon will wait to do an implant (IOL) later after the child matures.  BUT, if the patient is an adult I see no good reason whatsoever to not do an IOL.

3) There should be no nerve pain associated with an implant.  The IOL serves to replace the original lens that has been removed and patients generally do extremely well with vision AND comfort after an IOL is used.

4)  No.  You cannot get cataracts again after cataract surgery whether you have an IOL or not.  All patients, though, do have a high incidence of developing secondary cataract.  This is an opacification that occurs over time to the posterior capsule of the original cataractous lens that the surgeon leaves behind on purpose to support the implanted IOL.  When this membrane does opacify it does not require a repeat cataract surgery.  It can be dealt with very easily and effectively by performing a Yag laser capsulotomy.   Almost without exception, after performing a capsulotomy the patient never again has to address any issues related to cataracts.

Answer 3

Nearsightedness.

When I was in college I had to climb the sign post to read signs.  Now I can read them at a distance.

If nearsightedness is progressive, why am I able to do this?

Answer 4

You need to ask an opthamologist these questions.