Yag Laser Capsulotomy is a follow-up procedure after cataract surgery. Often the capsule of the lens, which is used to hold an intraocular lens (IOL) implant for cataract surgery, will become cloudy months to years following cataract surgery. Some refer to this as a secondary cataract. The YAG laser uses infrared light impulses to create tiny holes in a targeted area of tissue and these microbursts of energy are used to treat secondary cataracts, the iris, and other retinal problems.
The goal of the procedure is to clear cloudy vision caused by a secondary cataract. The YAG laser provides patients with a number of benefits:
- Virtually pain-free treatment
- No risk of infection
- Outpatient procedures
- Only takes a few minutes
- Reduced cost
- Less trauma and healing time for the eye
The procedure involves the patient sitting in the exam chair with their head in the support like a normal eye exam. The doctor will then focus the YAG laser onto the cloudy posterior lens capsule. The laser beam will pass through the cornea and lens implant, and the beam will create a tiny opening in the cloudy capsule. Usually, several applications are needed, but the procedure lasts only a few minutes, is painless, and produces clear vision shortly after.