Patients Treated With Lasers Need to Know Danger Signs

Eye surgeons generally use one of two procedures to remove cataracts.

In one operation, known as extracapsular extraction, an incision is made in the lens capsule to remove the hardened cataract intact. A plastic lens is then inserted to replace the natural lens that has been removed.

In the other operation-- phaco-emulsification-- sound waves are used to break up the cataract. Surgeons then make a small incision in the lens capsule and insert a tube through which they suction tiny cataract fragments. An artificial lens is then implanted.

Those who undergo laser surgery should be aware of the signs of retinal detachment in order to seek prompt treatment and avoid the possibility of permanent eye damage. Flashes of light that occur spontaneously are one warning sign. Others are a sudden shower of particles that obscures part or all of vision and a curtain that seems to fall and inhibit eyesight.

“That suggests that you are undergoing retinal detachment,” said ophthalmologist Alfred Sommer, dean of the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health. “Get to an ophthalmologist immediately.”