A clear sack called the lens capsule surrounds the natural lens within the eye. During cataract surgery, the hazy lens material is removed from this sack and an artificial lens implant is put in its place. While the lens implant typically remains clear for the duration of the patient’s life, the sack that holds the lens may become less clear over months or years after cataract surgery. This process is called posterior capsular opacification.
Similar to cataracts, this loss of clarity may make vision blurry or cause difficulty with glare. When it impairs vision, it is treated using a procedure called YAG laser capsulotomy. During this procedure, micro-pulses of energy from a YAG laser are used to remove the hazy areas of the lens capsule. This restores a clear pathway for light to enter the eye. The procedure is quick, painless and usually never needs to be repeated.
