Can I wait a year between cataract surgeries?
AUG 31, 2015
Question:
I am a 35-year-old female steroid responder, and I got cataracts in both eyes. I had surgery on my right eye and placed a multifocal lens. Can I wait one year to do the other eye as we have a plan for a second child?
Answer:
You can almost certainly wait. You may feel somewhat imbalanced with a natural, but cloudy lens in one eye and a multifocal lens in the other, but there is no medical risk involved in waiting a year. As a note to our readers, a "steroid respondent" is someone who develops elevated intraocular pressure after receiving steroids. Since steroids are routinely used after cataract surgery, this may also be a concern to our questioner. I would reassure you that those risks can usually be avoided by using gentler, less pressure-elevating anti-inflammatories, and pressure lowering medications right after surgery.