A YAG Laser Capsulotomy is performed when the hazy capsule starts to affect your daily lifestyle due to decreased vision or glare. Most commonly this is between 6 months and 3 years after your primary surgery but it may happen sooner or much later. It is important, however, to wait at least three to four months after your cataract surgery for the procedure to ensure that your intraocular lens is stable. If a bilateral procedure is being recommended, the eyes will be performed separately to ensure safety and an optimal outcome.

Per your insurance guidelines, a YAG Laser Capsulotomy is a completely separate and identifiable procedure regardless of the type of intraocular lens inserted, and as such, is billed separately to your insurance company. Although the need for this procedure is common and is not related to the success of your cataract surgery outcome, it does not happen to everyone.

Following the procedure, no special treatment is required, and you may return to your routine daily activities right away. Your eye may still remain dilated for up to 48 hours following the procedure, and you may also notice a temporary increase in floaters. A surgery counselor will review pre-operative and post-operative instructions in detail at the time you schedule your procedure.

Patients may also experience symptoms of dysphotopsia. The term dysphotopsia is used to describe a variety of visual symptoms that result from light reflecting off, or being blocked by the edge of the intraocular lens (IOL). Dysphotopsias are generally divided into two categories: positive and negative. Positive visual changes involve symptoms of glimmering, flashes, starbursts, haloes, or streaks of light, while negative dysphotopsias are perceived as shadows or dark areas in the visual periphery.  Typically these dysphotopsias are seen as an arc in the outer or lateral area of vision. It is important to know that sometimes, despite a perfect surgery, a patient can experience positive or negative dysphotopsia. While there is no way to predict its onset, for most patients, it is fortunately a temporary issue. In the vast majority of cases, the symptoms subside within a few weeks after surgery due to the process of neuroadaptation.