Cataract & Presbyopia Center
Trusted expertise to safely care for your eye health.
Posterior Capsular Opacification
PCO is not a recurrence of cataract.
After cataract surgery, vision may become hazy again. This is often mistaken for cataract recurrence, but PCO is in fact a separate condition from the original cataract.
What is posterior capsular opacification?
PCO refers to a decline in vision that occurs after the initial improvement following cataract surgery, affecting roughly 30 – 50% of patients. The natural crystalline lens is enclosed within a thin, transparent capsular bag. During cataract surgery the anterior portion of this capsule and the cataractous lens contents are removed, leaving the posterior capsule in place. Residual lens epithelial cells migrate and proliferate along the posterior capsule, undergoing fibrosis and forming an opaque membrane — this is posterior capsular opacification (also called posterior capsule opacification or after-cataract).
PCO Symptoms
After cataract surgery, vision becomes hazy and clouded again — similar to the symptoms experienced before the surgery. On average, PCO develops in 30 – 50% of patients within 3 – 4 years after cataract surgery; onset may be as early as 3 – 4 months postoperatively or delayed by several years.
PCO Treatment
PCO generally does not recur after successful treatment.
PCO treatment requires no additional intraocular surgery and is performed as a simple laser procedure in the outpatient laser suite. After topical anesthesia, a laser creates a small opening in the cloudy posterior capsule so light can pass through. Vision is restored to its original quality and patients can resume daily activities right after the procedure. Once treated, PCO does not recur.
[PCO Treatment] A one-time, lifelong procedure!!
The procedure is performed simply in the outpatient laser suite, with immediate return to daily activities.
[PCO Treatment] A one-time, lifelong procedure!!
The procedure is performed simply in the outpatient laser suite, with immediate return to daily activities.
