OphthoBook-Question – Lens & Cataract

PCO after cataracts are common and treated using a YAG laser to pop a hole through the capsule, thus clearing the visual axis.

Cataracts that are posterior are more visually significant. Seemingly small PSC cataracts can severely affect the vision.

This is phacoemulsification, the method the lens nucleus is removed with ultrasonic energy.

The outer capsule is left behind with cataract surgery. This creates a pocket in which to place the new implanted lens.

The lens is held in place by zonules, like springs on a trampoline.

Long-term use of steroids is associated with premature cataract formation, usually a PSC at the back of the lens.

A NSC is a nuclear sclerotic cataract. These cataracts are common and occur gradually with aging.

A PCO is a posterior capsule opacification, an “after cataract” that can form months to years after successful cataract surgery.

PSC stands for Posterior Subcapsular Cataract, an opacity that forms at the back of the lens. Common in diabetics and oral steroid users.