What are the lens replacement surgery risks and complications?

Lens replacement is a low-risk and effective procedure, with 95% of patients achieving driving-standard vision or better1https://www.optimax.co.uk/lens-surgery/. However, as with all surgeries, there are risks and possible side effects.

There’s no procedure out there that is completely risk-free. For example, 1 in 10,0002https://www.alexshortt.co.uk/what-are-the-lens-replacement-risks-vp/#single/0 patients undergoing refractive lens exchange may experience total vision loss. Furthermore, the risk of this happening to both eyes is 1 in 12 million.

So as you can see, these are extremely low figures, but you need to understand the full spectrum of risks that may occur with this procedure. Below, we list some possible lens replacement surgery risks, side effects and complications.

Seeing glare or halos

Glared rings of light at night time are common after refractive lens exchange surgery (and more common with multifocal lenses) but are nothing to worry about. This natural response to the focal points within your new lenses can last a few days to a few months.

Over time, your brain gets used to the lenses’ different power zones, and you will adjust to your new way of seeing, known as neuroadaptation.

Some patients need a ‘top-up’ procedure

For a few patients, the focus of the new lens isn’t exact, despite seeing much better than they did before the surgery. Some people may still have vision problems after the surgery. In this case, we would correct this with a simple laser procedure.

Experiencing dry or red eyes

Some patients may feel dry or red eyes post-surgery. This is a normal response that shouldn’t be painful. The redness will disappear after a few weeks, and you can correct the dry eyes with regular eye drops.

Although rare, some patients experience infection after surgery

The chance of this happening is significantly low, with 0.05% of patients experiencing severe infection after having lens replacement surgery. If this does occur, they should contact their surgeon immediately. Any pain or loss of vision should also be reported at once.

If you have any concerns about lens replacement surgery’s side effects or risks, feel free to speak to us. You can book an initial assessment here.

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