Has anyone experienced this after eye laser surgery?

[ILostItInTheEarlyNineties]

My mother had eye laser surgery to correct her sight just over a year ago. She used a private clinic and was pleased with the result.
However, just over the last couple of weeks, her sight in one eye has become progressively blurry.

After a visit to the optician, she was informed that this is a common symptom after laser surgery. Your body reacts to the foreign object (the artificial lens) by growing a layer of skin over the lens. This makes your vision cloudy and can only be remedied with more surgery to laser it off.

I'm surprised this condition which occurs in about 10% of laser patients wasn't brought to her attention when she had her consultation initially. I've never heard of it!
The clinic want her to pay a considerable amount (£500 per eye) to have it treated. There's also a waiting list of several months.

I just wondered if anyone else has experienced this cloudy vision? I'm concerned it will get worse for my mum. It's already started in her other eye. I'm worried about her driving and also her sight deteriorating before her op. There's not much information online!

Has anyone else experienced this with eye surgery?

It doesn't sound as though your DM had just laser eye surgery. that doesn't involve implanting a lens unless you opt for that to correct reading vision. Sadly, it is a fact that it can happen, but the company should have told her. However, since it is over a year since the surgery, they could claim they told her and she simply doesn't remember. If her eyesight is cloudy, she should not be driving.

Only your DM can decide if she wants (and can afford) to pay the extra to have this corrected. Laser eye surgery can be a bit of a gamble.

Thanks for your reply. You're right she had lenses implanted to correct her vision. She is prepared to pay to have the skin growth removed. I'm concerned that it will keep returning though. That will become very costly.

I agree, she shouldn't be driving and will speak to her again today.

I just went onto the Eye Clinic's website in an attempt to find out more and was surprised to see a large photo of Dm grinning on their home page and a lengthy quote explaining how happy she is. Good Lord!

That's a bit of a joke after all these complications.

Hopeful bump for anyone else's experiences?

Wow, that's a bit cheeky of them to say the least!

My ex FIL had what I assume was the same op, and had the same issue in one eye afterwards. He had further surgery and all was absolutely fine afterwards. Despite the problem he had he does say having his eyes sorted was the best thing he ever did. Sorry, I don't know any further medical details to give any further advice or info.

I'd be getting them to take that testimonial down though!

Yes it is a bit cheeky. I was surprised to be greeted with my mum's face on the website! I feel like asking them to add a comment; "Unfortunately a year on and my eyesight's pretty fucked"

That's reassuring about your FIL Roomba. It sounds as though he hasn't had any further problems so I'm hoping this problem won't keep coming back.

I need to convince DM not to drive until her op . She's very stubborn and I think not letting on how blurry her sight is becoming. I can tell by the texts she sends and the way she's written her Christmas cards that it must be worse than she's admitting to.

Is her poor eyesight now connected to cataracts? How old is your mum? Did she have long distance, close vision or both corrected?

Did she have ICL (Implantable Contact Lens) surgery?

I had LASIK years ago and am now looking into ICL (long, long story), so this interests me.

Husky I've gone through some of her notes. She had Laser Refractive Lens exchange. The natural lens of the eye is replaced with a multi focal high performance lens implant to correct vision. I think this can be described as ICL?

It's definitely worth considering this quite common complication. It wasn't highlighted at the time of my mum's surgery. (May have been in the small print?)

Rizlet She's 76 years. She was told this is not a cataract as it's not possible to develop those with an artificial lens.
The optician described it as the pocket where the lens sits thickening. A layer of skin grows over the back of the new lens.

I don't know if this thickens more over time. My concern was that it may get worse in both eyes while she waits the 3 months for her operation. That's going to leave her really incapacitated.

Eye surgery professionals are usually very good at ensuring all eventualities are covered in the contract that you sign with them - I'd imagine it is on the list of contra-indications somewhere.

I know a complication of cataract surgery [where they insert a replacement lens] is that vision can become clouded which is what happened with my mum who had it treated on the nhs.
www.nhs.uk/conditions/cataract-surgery/#what-are-the-risks-and-complications

So although it isn't a cataract it might be the same kind of mechanism occurring in her eye.

I think I'd be looking for a second opinion - maybe try her GP initially?

Have you looked on any eye surgery forums to see if anyone else has experienced similar?

Thanks, OP - just googled it, it’s something different altogether. It’s a minefield!!

Thanks rizlett This complication was probably mentioned somewhere in the paperwork. To be fair, she probably would still have got it done despite being made more aware of the risks.

Did your mum have any further complications after her surgery? Did the skin grow back at all?

It may be worth trying to get referred by her gp. I assumed they may not offer corrective treatment to a patient that has taken the risk with private surgery. Will look into that, thank you.

I know Husky. I'm getting more confused and alarmed at the possible complications the more I read! Started to sweat when I got onto the "Detached retina" section.

Please don't let me put you off having your own surgery though. It's just absolutely worth doing some research beforehand.

It was about 18months after her cataract op that she needed the second one to clear the overgrowth of tissue at the back of the lens and she was really pleased as she hadn't realised how much it had affected her sight. This was about 18months ago and no problems since. Same age as your mum.

I'm not aware that there is a rush for treatment [so maybe no need to worry about the length of time before your mum can have it done - though I'd be annoyed to have to wait all that time on a private system.] apart from dealing with the problem of poor vision. [my mums was worse at night.]

Maybe, given that they are using her for advertising you might be able to push for some preferential treatment. [I'm sure though they'll also have a ticked box to say mum agreed to promotional material - they are very thorough!]

Pleased that your mum's op was successful and hasn't returned rizlett. That's allayed some of my concerns.

I rang to let DM know she's on the promotional website and she's really chuffed and thinks it's a good photo of her.

Its called post-capsular opacification...its a lot less common than it used to be as modern lens designs have got better, but it happens. It would have been on the consent form.
It used to happen a lot post-cataract surgery.

The procedure to correct it is a YAG laser capsulotomy. Its actually quite straightforward, not as invasive to the eye as the original surgery.

I'm not sure why there should be such a long waiting list though, maybe they only have the machine available one certain days. If its really affecting her vision maybe they could refer to another clinic to have it done.

Thanks for the extra information underneath and the technical terms!

Armed with this knowledge I'm going to suggest she looks into having it done at a different private clinic. I don't think she needs to return to the original one if it's a straightforward procedure (?)
I've persuaded her to see her gp after Christmas to see if she can be referred by him.

I agree, the waiting list for the corrective surgery seems very long at the place she used. (offered beginning of March)

Thanks everyone for your help