Floaters After Cataract Surgery

Side effects after having a cataract removed are relatively rare. If anything does occur, it’s usually minor and easily treatable. One possibility is the appearance of floaters after cataract surgery.

Floaters are small, often translucent, dots, squiggles, or shapes in your line of sight that move as you try to focus on them.

The following discusses what they are, why they might appear after a cataract operation, and what can be done about them.

Everything You Need to Know about Floaters After Cataract Surgery

• What are floaters?
• Why do they sometimes appear after cataract surgery?
• How floaters after cataract surgery are treated

What are floaters?

Floaters are tiny clumps of proteins found in the vitreous—the jelly-like substance that’s inside the eye. Because they’re not attached to anything, they’re free to float around, hence their name. It’s a really common condition that affects people of all ages, with or without cataracts.

They tend to move if you try to focus on them, hence you won’t always see them in exactly the same place. Thankfully, floaters aren’t usually the sign of anything to worry about. However, if they’re affecting your direct field of vision then there are procedures that can get rid of them.

Why do they sometimes appear after cataract surgery?

The most common reason for getting floaters after cataract surgery is that they were there all along. However, because your vision was negatively affected by the cataract, you simply couldn’t see them. Now that your eyesight has been restored, you become aware of them.

There are some other, more serious, reasons that floaters can appear. While rare, it’s worth knowing that the trauma caused during a cataract operation can cause conditions, such as Posterior Vitreous Detachment (PVD) or retinal detachment. Both of these can cause floaters to appear.

Because of this, if you do experience any floaters in the weeks or months after your cataract operation, then it’s vital to go back to your ophthalmologist to be checked out.

How floaters after cataract surgery are treated

If the floaters aren’t caused by anything serious and aren’t particularly bothersome, then your surgeon will probably suggest taking no action.

If they’re annoying and affect your everyday vision, then they can be broken up with a short laser treatment. This takes minutes and is done in the doctor’s office. There is a more invasive treatment that involves removing the vitreous and replacing it with an artificial substance. This is a major operation and, in reality, rarely performed.

If there’s a more serious reason behind the floaters, such as a retinal detachment or PVD, then you’ll need urgent care. Treatment for both is well-proven and highly successful. The key to a successful outcome is early intervention, meaning that if you experience any of the following in conjunction with the appearance of new floaters, then you should seek professional advice as soon as possible.

• Flashes of light.
• The appearance of a dark curtain sweeping across your vision—usually from the top of the eye or one of the upper corners.
• Any shadows in your peripheral vision.
• Any loss of vision.
• Eye pain.
• A red eye.

Modern Cataract Surgery is the Go-To Clinic for Treating Floaters After Cataract Surgery

Whether the appearance of floaters after cataract surgery needs no action or it’s a symptom of something that needs treating, you need to get an expert opinion. Modern Cataract Surgery is the specialist arm of the world-renowned West Boca Eye Center. There’s simply no better place in the US to get the best care for anything to do with cataracts.

Whether you’re worried about floaters that have appeared after a cataract op or you’ve got a complex medical history and need a dedicated surgeon to treat you, the Modern Cataract Surgery Clinic is your go-to clinical facility.

Discover more about us at https://www.moderncataractsurgery.com and call today to book your initial consultation.