Are there any side effects with YAG laser capsulotomy?
A YAG capsulotomy for PCO is generally considered to be very low risk, and serious complications are extremely rare.
You may feel a slight soreness if, during treatment, we stabilised your eye with a contact lens. This should pass quickly.
A small amount of ‘floaters’ (clumps of cells in the fluid inside the eye) after the treatment is normal and harmless. These usually disappear gradually.
Some people may experience a brief increase in intraocular (eye fluid) pressure after laser treatment for PCO. Having pre-existing conditions such as glaucoma can make this problem worse. This is because the eye pressure is already elevated.
If this applies to you, the ophthalmologist will check your eye pressure shortly after laser treatment. We will normally prescribe medication to lower your eye pressure if it has risen.
In rare cases (fewer than one in 100 patients), laser treatment for PCO can lead to a detached retina. But it may not occur until some weeks or months after the procedure. Very short-sighted patients are more likely to experience this problem. The symptoms of a detached retina include:
- A very noticeable and sudden increase in floaters
- You see flashing light effects
- What looks like a moving shadow or ‘dark curtain’ affects your vision.
Ophthalmologists can fix retinal detachment with surgery but this should happen as soon as possible.
