Cataract Surgery and Macular Pucker

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Question:
Can cataract removal cause macular puckers?     

Answer:
"Macular pucker" is a condition in which a fine membrane grows upon the central retina and causes minimal to significant loss of central vision. Cataracts do not cause them. However, puckers are sometimes quite subtle and may not be apparent in an eye with a significant cataract until after the opaque lens is removed. Also, puckers are sometimes associated with intraocular inflammation, and it may be possible that unusual inflammation following cataract surgery might be associated with growth of a pre-retinal membrane (pucker).

Answered by: Charles P. Wilkinson, MD  

Categories: Cataracts, Eye Surgery

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