What is a YAG Laser Capsulotomy?

Sometimes, months or even years after cataract and lens replacement surgery, your vision may seem to fade. This is often because of something called posterior capsular clouding. When you had your cataract and lens implant surgery, an Intraocular lens (or IOL) was implanted within the lens capsule. The lens capsule is a thin, elastic, and transparent envelope inside your eye, that once held your natural lens - and now holds the IOL in place. Within a few weeks after lens implant surgery, the capsule shrinks and seals itself to the IOL which is what holds it firmly in place. As time goes by, the capsule may become cloudy. This often occurs sooner with premium IOLs, but patients with any IOL may develop it as well. This is not a cataract "coming back", but a very common side-effect following lens replacement. The typical solution is a YAG laser capsulotomy. The YAG laser will make an opening in the center of the posterior capsule about the size of your pupil, creating a clear visual pathway. This procedure is usually not done at the time of lens implant surgery because it could interfere with the implant’s position. Once the YAG procedure has been performed, you should see a very quick improvement in your overall vision. Fortunately, this is a one-time event and extremely unlikely to ever need to be repeated in the future. Talk to us if you have questions about the YAG laser procedure.