Consequences of torn and removed lens capsule

[MortyS]

Dear Dr. Hagan or To Whom it may concern. Hello. During my cataract surgery, the lens capsule was torn and removed. What are possible consequences of that?--of there being no capsule for the lens to reside in? How secure is the new lens? Thank you.

[Michael J Kutryb, MD]

It all depends on how well the surgeon made up for the problem which might include doing a vitrectomy and placing the implant in the ciliary sulcus or the anterior chamber.  With a broken capsule, there is definitely a much higher risk of problems such as glaucoma, corneal edema, dislocated implant, retinal detachment, macular edema and infection inside the eye (endophthalmitis.)  THe lens may not be very secure if put in properly or in jeopardy of dislocating if not put in properly. It all depends on how well the surgeon ended up taking care of things.

MJK MD

[MortyS]

Dear Dr. Kutryb,

   Will you be replying to my reply of December 8th?

       Thank you,
       Morty

[MortyS]

Thank you for your reply, Dr. Kutryb. I would like to follow-up on it, please:

1) My attempts to discuss this with my surgeon resulted in her being impatient with me and twice arguing with me--once with my wife present.  In  reply to one question I had for her, she said "I don't know everything." Is there a way I can access information about my surgery with her?

2) She did send me to a retina specialist, who saw no problem, and my eyesight is great, thank God.

3) I don't know if she performed a vitrectomy and placed the implant in the ciliary sulcus or the anterior chamber. When I asked her if the four stitches she made were to attach the lens somewhere, she said no, but I still don't know how the lens is fixed. I asked if it could be knocked loose by a fall or a hit to the head, and she said no.

4) Another thing that bothers me is the length of time I'm taking three different eyedrops--I was told to stop taking the Vigamox three weeks after surgery, but am to continue taking Prednisolone for two more weeks, and Acular for three more weeks.

5) What began my lack of confidence in my surgeon was that when I went home after surgery, my eye acted as though I were on a psychedelic--an outward-spinning colorful spiral, colorful clouds moving around at random, and other visual things, and when I called the "contact" number for her, she wasn't available, and even the emergency clinic at the place I had the surgery, could not contact her--so I had to take a cab in to the emergency clinic, where, thank God, they found no damage.

6) One more thing, please: Something else that undermined my confidence was, I had been referred to my surgeon a year ago, when my vision was pretty good (good enough) out of that eye, and I had told her that.  She told me then that I would only have the operation when I wanted it. So, when the capsule was torn and removed and she said the reason was because it was deep, and I asked her why she hadn't told me the previous year that there could be complications if I waited to have surgery, she said that she hadn't wanted to "pressure" me to have surgery. When I said that giving me information and "pressuring" me were two different things, that's when we had the first argument. She was angry and defensive.

   Thank you VERY much for your attention.

       Sincerely,
       Morty