Posterior Capsular Opacification
Posterior Capsular Opacification (PCO) is a common complication after cataract surgery. PCO occurs as cells remaining after cataract surgery grows over the back of the bag that houses the new artificial lens. It’s essentially the healing process of the eye building up scar tissue. The effects of PCO are very similar to symptoms of cataracts with blurred/cloudy vision or glare. Patients often state their vision is ‘milky’.
Treatment
Treating PCO is common and straightforward and happens in the outpatient department using a state of the art class 4 laser. The procedure takes about 1 minute, is pain-free and minimally invasive. It is not like having your cataract operation but more like an outpatient examination.
This is one-off laser treatment and allows your vision to return to normal within a day or so.
Patient Treatment Timeline
| DAYS | OPTOMETRIST | CHEC |
|---|---|---|
| DAY 1 | Referral following assessment | |
| DAY 3 | CHEC Referral Management | |
| DAY 13 | Booked appointment ‘one-stop shop’ | |
| DAY 17 | Optometrist review for refraction Spectacle prescription as required |
