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Cataract surgery following LASIK surgery --- bad result.

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nesta53720
nesta53720

LASIK surgery some 25 years ago -- cataracts recently developed in both eyes. Can't obtain LASIK records (lost by hospital). Had cataract surgery on right eye - long distance lens. Great vision for 5 days, then drastically deteriorated, pain, double vision, watery discharge,feeling that something in the eye, floaters, now short sighted in this eye, vision worse than before surgery. What is so frustrating is that the vision seems to vary during the day. Can look at an object using only that eye and it will be in focus, a few minutes later when I look again it will be blurred. Am seeing consultant again in a few weeks but he maintains as correct measurements as possible of eye pre surgery were taken, can't expect perfect result because of prior LASIK surgery. But,having had a long sighted lens inserted I certainly didn't expect to end up shortsighted and with worse vision than prior to surgery.

He has proposed piggybacking another lens on top of the existing lens to see if this improves vision and/ or laser treatment to break up floaters which he says are causing distortion of vision and due to dry eyes!. I'm not convinced and concerned piggybacking another lens will make feeling of something in eye worse.

I'd be interested in hearing from anyone who's had a similar experience and/ or received further treatment to address similar sight problems.

1 like, 25 replies

25 Replies

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  • julielyn
    julielyn nesta53720

    Posted

    I’m right there with you.  But instead of piggy back. PRK or lasik enhancement has been suggested. I’m getting a second opinion 

  • at201
    at201 nesta53720

    Posted

    I can understand that having a LASIK in the past (and specially not having the records of the eye measurements at that time) makes it very difficult to calculate accurately the required power of the IOL. However, just having the power of the lens off does not explain the variation of yuor vision during the day.

    So, getting a good explanation of the reason for that, and understanding how to fix that, should be your first priority.

    I will also suggest making sure that you don't have dry eyes. No one's cornea is completely smooth. If there is a thin layer of tears on top of it, it makes a nice smooth surface which makes the vision sharp. If such a surface is not made by the tears, the roughness of the cornea makes the vision fuzzy. One does not always feel any irritation in the eyes due to them being dry, but one can definitely see the difference in the sharpness of the vision.

  • lin59
    lin59 nesta53720

    Posted

    I had lasik without my old records and my cataract surgery turned out great. They have formulas to use to figure out the power for people who had lasik and don't have their records.

    • nikola36722
      nikola36722 lin59

      Posted

      Glad to hear there are also good results for people with previous Lasik surgery.

      what are your cataract surgery result and what implants do you have?

  • lin59
    lin59 nesta53720

    Posted

    Nesta - did you have RK (radial keratotomy)? They weren't doing LASIK yet 25 year ago (that would be 1993, before it was approved in the United States). It's harder for them to do the surgery if someone had RK.

    • lin59
      lin59

      Posted

      I also don't think LASIK was being done in 1993 in other countries either. It was still RK. With RK, they make long cuts all around your cornea and that makes it harder to do cataract surgery. LASIK is a totally different procedure.

    • lin59
      lin59

      Posted

      With radial keratotomy, the cuts are done around the cornea like the spokes of a wheel. RK is no longer done anymore due to many people having terrible complications from it. It can cause vision fluctuations, so even if someone had cataract surgery after RK, it may not turn out well due to that. It's also harder for doctors to do the incision on someone who had RK due to all the RK cuts.

    • lin59
      lin59

      Posted

      Also, doctors have to use a different formula to calculate the IOL power for someone who had radial keratotomy vs. someone who had LASIK, PRK, etc. They also use different formulas based on whether someone was nearsighted or farsighted before having refractive surgery.
  • nesta53720
    nesta53720

    Posted

    It was definitely laser/ LASIK surgery. It was still experimental but a trial was being run by one of the top hospitals in London and my sight was sufficiently bad to qualify for the trial.
    • lin59
      lin59 nesta53720

      Posted

      Oh ok nesta, I wasn't sure where you live and even so, yes 1993 is early for LASIK.

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