Cataract surgery after laser surgery

Cataract surgery in patients who have had previous laser vision correction (LASIK and PRK) is more complex than in patients who have not had prior laser surgery. 

When short or longsightedness is treated with laser the cornea is reshaped and thinned. These changes make it more difficult to measure the eye later in life. This compromises the ability to accurately calculate the power of the intraocular lens (IOL) required at the time of cataract surgery.

Eye specialists around the world recognise this problem and it is hoped that in the near future there will be a solution. In the meantime surgeons use a variety of methods to calculate the IOL required. In general most patients will still be delighted with the improvement in their vision. Some will be more reliant on glasses or contact lens and others will decide to have further laser surgery to fine tune the focus of their eyes. In rare cases the implanted IOL is exchanged for one of a different power.