Overview

A YAG laser capsulotomy is a laser treatment used to improve your vision after cataract surgery. The full name for the treatment is Nd:YAG (neodymium-doped yttrium aluminium garnet) laser capsulotomy. It's a simple, common procedure that's very safe. 

During your cataract surgery, the natural lens inside your eye that had become cloudy was removed. A new artificial lens was put inside the lens membrane (called the bag or capsule) in your eye. This capsule can thicken after surgery and become cloudy. This can interfere with the light reaching the back of your. When this happens, your sight can become misty, and you might get glare in bright light, or from lights at night-time.

Capsule thickening can happen soon after your cataract surgery, but more commonly occurs a few years after surgery. A YAG laser capsulotomy is the only way to treat this. Apart from affecting your vision, the thickening does not damage the eye in any way.

In a YAG laser capsulotomy the doctor uses a laser to create a small hole in the centre of the capsule, which will let light through.

Benefits of this procedure

The laser treatment will hopefully improve your vision. It should return to how it was before the membrane became cloudy.

Risks of this procedure

Complications after this treatment are very rare. Sometimes the pressure inside the eye rises immediately after the laser treatment. If this happens, you might need extra treatment before you can go home.

Occasionally the opening made by the laser beam is incomplete, or not big enough. This will be discovered either after your treatment, or on your follow-up visit. If this is the case, it might be necessary to repeat the treatment.

Extremely rarely, some patients can get a build-up of fluid in the macula (part of the eye responsible for detailed central vision). This is called macular oedema (swelling), which causes blurring, or distortion of vision.

Another extremely rare complication is retinal detachment, when the fine light-sensitive membrane at the back of the eye comes away from the wall of the eye. 

Other treatment options

You can choose not to have treatment. The capsule may or may not continue to thicken. If it does, you might want to reconsider having a YAG laser capsulotomy at a later date.

Asking for your permission (consent)

We want to involve you in decisions about your care and treatment. If you decide to go ahead, you will be asked to sign a consent form. This states that you understand what the treatment involves, and agree to have it.

Read more about our consent process.

Preparing for your YAG laser capsulotomy

You don’t need to prepare for the procedure. You'll be given an appointment to be seen in the clinic for your laser treatment. You'll be able to leave hospital on the same day.

You can eat and drink as normal. You will not need to change into a hospital gown for the procedure.

You must continue to use any eye medicines as you usually would on the day of your laser treatment (unless you have been told otherwise). 

During a YAG laser capsulotomy

You'll have some drops put into your eye to enlarge the pupil (the black part at the front of your eye). Anaesthetic eye drops will be put in your eye to numb the surface of the eye, so you should not feel any pain. The laser machine is similar to the slit lamp machine used to examine your eyes when you visit the eye clinic, except that it has a special laser attached to it. The doctor will put a special contact lens on your eye before applying the laser beam. This lens allows the doctor to view the membrane more clearly to apply the laser and make a small hole in it to clear the vision. 

As we're a teaching hospital, we cannot guarantee that a consultant will do your procedure, but the clinician doing it will introduce themselves to you and explain their role.

The treatment is painless due to the anaesthetic drops used to numb your eye before the laser. 

The procedure takes about 20 minutes. 

After the procedure, you'll return to the waiting area. You might be asked to stay in the department for up to 1 hour after the procedure.

After the procedure

After the treatment, most patients find that their vision is blurry for about 4 hours, from the drops. Some patients have floaters for a few weeks. Floaters are not considered a complication, but a side effect.

Bright lights can also cause problems. Because of this, it can be helpful to wear sunglasses after the procedure, and have someone to go home with you, but this is not essential.

You should not drive, or ride a motorbike or bicycle for the rest of the day.

After the procedure, no special treatment is required, and you can go back to your normal daily activities immediately. If you have any discomfort when you have left hospital, you can take your usual painkillers. Always follow the instructions on the packet. 

It's normal for your eyes to feel itchy, gritty or sticky, and to have mild discomfort for the rest of the day after the treatment.

You can visit your local optician a couple of weeks after the procedure to check your sight or have new glasses prescribed.

Eye drops 

Anti-inflammatory drops might be prescribed after the laser treatment. These help to minimise inflammation in the eye, but will not treat an infection. People usually only have to use these for 4 to 7 days. Your doctor will tell you if you need eye drops and how long you need to use them for. You do not need antibiotics, as there is no open wound on your eye.