What Are the Side Effects of Lens Implant Surgery?
Possible side effects immediately following lens implant surgery include light sensitivity, a feeling that something is in the eye, hazy vision and bloodshot eyes, and long-term risks include vision loss, vision abnormalities in low-light situations, increased pressure inside the eye, clouding of the cornea or natural lens, and retinal detachment, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Short-term symptoms typically diminish over the four-week period following surgery. Infection is a possible side effect of any surgical procedure.
Lens implant surgery improves vision by surgically applying an imitation lens over the natural lens or in place of the natural lens, if it was removed due to disease or cataracts, states the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Other vision correction options, aside from lens implant surgery, include wearing corrective glasses or contact lenses or refractive surgery. The actual surgery takes about 30 minutes and is usually performed on an outpatient basis.
Barring complications, after surgery patients return home following a couple of hours resting in recovery. The patient wears an eye shield to prevent accidental injury to the eye while it heals and uses prescription eye drops to reduce the risk of infection. The recovery period lasts about four weeks, and during that time, vision gradually improves, and minor side effects such as pain and redness diminish.
