Residual piece of lens post cataract surgery

[gracemaile]

I had cataract surgeries on both eyes about a little over a month ago (L 11/18/22, R 12/2/22).  At my 24-hr post op exam on the right eye, I mentioned that my right eye felt mor inflamed than my right eye did post op.  It was also more bloodshot.  The ophthalmologist said every eye and surgery is different, but that he did notice a small piece of lens in there.  He said hopefully it will be absorbed.  I had a second followup on 12/12/22, and mentioned that the R eye sometimes feels like there’s something in it, or like a contact lens, I have to blink to get it to focus clearly.  The ophthalmologist said it takes 3 months to heal.

My question is, how common is it to have a residual piece of the biological lens post cataract surgery, and will it really get absorbed in time?

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

It is a well known and report complication, thankfully rare.  Whether it will reabsorb depends if it is lens nucleus, which does not reabsorb, or cortex which may/may not depending on the amount of cortex and location in the eye.  You can always get a second opinion.