cataract surgery complications

[speedster185]

I have had bad vision all of my life lazy eye in my right eye with little to no vision my left eye i have had to wear a -14.5 contact for as long as I can remember. I was diagnosed at the age of 40 with cataract I have also been told I have myopic degeneration. I went ahead on Jan 27th 2010 and had the cataract surgery performed they had to do a piggy back implant as they do not make a lens that is my prescription  they also corrected astigmatism. My eye pressure before the surgery was 18 the day after it was 24 1 week later it was 50 when i went in for a recheck I was put drops to decrease the pressure lotemax combigan the pressure went down to 39  returned 1 week later  and pressure was still 39 they added xylatan  went back 10 days later Pressure was 28 was told to continue drops  and that in 3 or 4 wks  I should  schedule YAG procedure  My question is how soon after surgery should you consider YAG and what are the risks to that as ive already had the complication of high eye pressure?

[Sandra M Brown, MD]

I have never heard of anyone having a piggyback lens with a crystalens.  Definitely it is not approved to be used with a piggyback lens.  Since you are very nearsighted, the problem was probably not that the crystalens power didn't go high enough, it was that it didn't go low enough.

You need to get a second opinion.  Your doctor is ascribing your eye pressure to "steroid response" from the antiinflammatory eye drop but based on the history you provided this happened too fast and went too high to be a typical steroid response.  Also under ordinary circumstances it is much too soon to need a YAG, which can 1) increase inflammation, 2) increase eye pressure, and 3) possibly cause retinal detachment in nearsighed people.

You should quit messing around on line and get another opinion NOW.  It is possible that one or both implants may need to come out!  You only have one good eye.  You have paid a huge amount of money to just have surgery on one eye and you are not better off.  Get seen THIS WEEK.

[speedster185]

Maybe  I was not specific enough about the lens it is  crystal lens  and I was told they did not make it in my prescription that is the reason for the piggy back lens ?? And the dr. told me that the eye pressure was caused by a reaction to the original eyedrop given should i expect to have glaucoma for the rest of my life and have to use drops to control the pressure. the YAG procedure is to remove a film that has gone over new lens I have paid $7200 for the cataract surgery which included fixing astimatism and now hes says this YAG procedure is going to be $900 more I am really starting to think I should have just lived with the cataracts. Also my distance vision is good but i can not read up close or sometimes even make out my wifes face.

[Sandra M Brown, MD]

Something is really wrong here.  You say your prescription is minus 14.5 which is a high nearsighted prescription.  There should be NO NEED for a piggyback IOL.  Piggyback means that 2 implants were used.  You might have needed a CUSTOM implant in a "minus" power, but these are readily available and are a proven technology.

In uncomplicated cataract surgery, even in a very nearsighted person, it is most unusual to have sustained increased eye pressure unless there was a glaucoma problem before hand or there was a bleeding problem.  How do they think a YAG treatment will help this?  Is it a YAG capsulolotmy or a YAG to the iris?

You are a mess and getting worse fast.  I don't think you understand what surgery you had and what is wrong with you now. I think you ought to get a second opinion this week from an experienced cataract surgeon in his 40s or 50 who DOES NOT ADVERTISE.