I have a film over my eyes after cataract surgery how soon can I have laser surgery done?

Yag capsulotomy is a safe procedure but it's safer ( as others have listed reasons) if you wait 3-4 months after the original cataract surgery.There are rare, but more serious, complications (retinal detachment or cystoid macular edema)  that have been reported to be of higher incidence when done before 90 days.Yag capsulotomy is easy to do, so easy it's one of the first things they teach ophthalmologist to do. But even perfectly performed, there is an increased risk of rare complications when done too soon.Good luck to you.

Dr. Dello Russo responds:    there are a number of causes for a cloudiness after cataract surgery. Let's deal with the most common cause. A clouding  of the clear film layer ( of the bag)  into which the IOL is placed.   About half the time this clear film eventually clouds. It is extremely easily to poke a small hole in this film with a specific laser designed only for this purpose.   The YAG laser was introduced by a French eye surgeon in 1980. I myself bought the third yag laser in the US in1981. It was a great advance in safety. Before the yag we needed to use a knife to puncture a hole in the film.

The most common cause of this symptom is a cloudiness in the capsule that was left behind to support the Intraocular Lens(IOL). The treatment is very straightforward, but ideally should be delayed for 60-90 days post cataract surgery in order to allow the new lens to settle into the proper position.