To remove the haze capsule is a minor procedure that only requires dilation of your eye.
Yttrium Aluminum Garnet also called YAG, is a procedure that produces infra-red laser light impulses. It is used to create small openings within tissue that are targeted through a process known as photo-disruption. Generally, it’s used for treating the iris and secondary cataracts. Sometimes doctors might also use it in treating problems with the retina at the eye’s back.
There is a variety of eye conditions treatable with this procedure. Conditions of the eyes that can be treated with a YAG capsulotomy procedure may include:
• If there are vision interferences with activities during the day.
• When vision in patients decreases that have multifocal intraocular lenses that might specifically be sensitive to even tiny changes of the posterior capsular.
• Increased glaring.
• Difficulty to visualize the fundus.
• With Z syndrome and lens tilting that is related to hinge compliant lenses, like the Trulign toric and Crystalens lenses. Z syndrome may occur if one hap tic arched posterior and the other anterior, and lens tilting can occur if one hap tic is arched either posterior or anterior and the other is planar.
In some cases, it’s possible for a tiny anterior capsular contraction, capsulorrhexis or capsular phimosis may occur. With such excessive anterior scarring to your intra-ocular lens, it might compromise your vision. Alleviation by anterior radial capsulotomies will be achieved through YAG laser treatment.
The doctor will numb your eye’s front by using special eye drops, after which he/she places a tiny contact lens on the eye. Then your head needs to rest on the YAG laser machine’s frame so that your doctor can focus the laser onto the capsule.
Small holes will be made by this laser into the capsule, in such a pattern which allows the doctor to determine what can be the best treatment for your specific condition.
Because there isn’t any incision required, you won’t feel pain or be at risk to develop infections. However, your doctor may prescribe anti-inflammatory drops for your eyes after the procedure.
• The treatment is basically pain-free.
• There isn’t any risk to get an infection.
• It’s an outpatient treatment procedure.
• Less healing time and trauma for your eye.
• The procedure only lasts for a few minutes, though you might have to stay between one and two hours.
• Reduced cost.
After the procedure, you can immediately resume normal activities and expect improvement of your vision within one day. Yet, you might experience some degree of floaters for a couple of weeks following the procedure.
At the completion of the procedure, it’s important after a week to go back for a follow-up so that your doctor can examine the overall results, vision, and pressure. You should only as a precaution each day after your procedure tests your eye sight. Do this by closing your eye which hasn't had the surgery, and checks your eye’s vision.
Every year following the treatment you need to go for a checkup of your eyes. This is done to check for any other problems, as well as glaucoma because if your eye is just slightly unusual, examinations are critical.
Serious problems are very rare in a posterior YAG capsulotomy because it’s an extremely effective and safe procedure. However, the same as with any type of medical procedure, there might be some degree of risks involved.
The one that is very common may be the pressure that rises within your eye. When this happens the doctor can prescribe some eye drops, or maybe some combination of drops and tablets for reducing this pressure.
A risk that might be a bit higher can be the detachment of your retina, as well as swelling of your macula. Nonetheless, both of these risks are quite rare, if your original surgery for cataracts with laser treatment was performed over six months earlier.
By consulting an experienced professional eye specialist for this procedure, it may minimize your risks significantly involving posterior YAG capsulotomy.
Once your doctor and you decided that a posterior YAG capsulotomy will be the right choice for you, the doctor can provide you with extra information to allow you in making an informed decision of whether you want to proceed. Make sure that all questions you may have are answered to your full satisfaction.
