Yag Capsulotomy

There is a bag in your eye that holds your natural lens. During cataract surgery, a small opening is made in the front part of that bag to allow the surgeon to remove your cataract and replace it with a clear artificial lens. Over time, the bag itself can get cloudy giving you symptoms of cataract again, like cloudy vision. This happens approximately 20 percent of the time per eye after cataract surgery depending on your age and type of cataract.

When this clouding occurs, you do not need another cataract surgery. Instead, a YAG laser capsulotomy is preformed in the office. The laser makes a small opening in the bag for light to get to your retina, improving your vision.

The laser itself only take a few minutes and is done in the office, though we ask that you plan on being at the office 1-2 hours the day of your treatment.

First, anesthetic drops are used to numb your eye. Then, the doctor will place a lens on your eye with a Vaseline like substance, which will blur your vision for the rest of the day. The lens will help focus the laser. The dilation should start to go down the day after your appointment.

When the laser is being preformed, you may hear some clicks from the machine, but there is no pain associated with the treatment. There are no restrictions or eye drops to use after a YAG laser, and you are free to resume normal activity when you leave the office. You may want to have a ride home as your vision will be blurry in the eye you are having the treatment on. You may notice an increase in floaters for a few days after the treatment.