IN THIS VIDEO, PROF MOHAMMED MUHTASEB EXPLAINS HOW CATARACT OF RLE SURGERY CAN MAKE ASTIGMATISM WORSE AND HOW HE PREVENTS THIS FROM HAPPENING

Can cataract or RLE surgery make astigmatism worse, and how do you prevent this?

It’s very important in the preoperative planning to assess how much astigmatism is present in your cornea and its orientation (which direction it takes in the cornea). When a patient has a large degree of astigmatism, it’s quite clear that the toric lens would be beneficial. However, lens implant surgery, so cataract surgery or refractive lens exchange, will change the shape of the cornea and will induce or create astigmatism in the cornea.

It’s quite possible to make astigmatism worse.

In the preoperative planning, I must take this change into account. This is very important, particularly in patients who have a very low degree of astigmatism before the surgery. Suppose I don’t take this change into account. In that case, it’s quite possible to make astigmatism worse. I could perform a very successful technical operation in terms of getting the cataract out and putting a lens implant in, but then actually create more astigmatism for the patient. This would result in a patient who has blurrier vision after the surgery than they had before. So the preoperative planning is very important to create the best visual outcome, treat preexisting astigmatism, and ensure I don’t make a low level of astigmatism worse after the operation.

I invite you to book a consultation to determine your suitability for refractive cataract surgery or refractive lens exchange. It’s the only way to determine your suitability for these procedures and to have an in-depth discussion regarding the risks and benefits of each of them. I look forward to seeing you there and taking you through the journey to achieving your desired postoperative outcome.