Cataract Surgery and Macular Degeneration

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Question:
Can cataract surgery make my macular degeneration worse?  

Answer:
This has been studied extensively, and cataract surgery has been proven NOT to worsen macular degeneration. In fact, many of the lenses commonly implanted during cataract surgery are UV protective, and will lessen one's risk of macular degeneration moving forward. Occasionally, people have pre-existing macular degeneration that is not apparent because the cataract has limited your doctor's view of the retina. After cataract surgery, the view inside of the eye becomes clearer, and the macular degeneration is "newly" diagnosed.

Answered by: James H. Heltzer, MD

Categories: Cataracts, Eye Surgery

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