Can You Have Cataract Surgery For Short Or Long Eyes?

Cataract surgery is a very common eye procedure performed across the globe, wherein the natural lens of the eye is removed and replaced with an intraocular lens. However, for short and long eyes, cataract surgery will have special considerations. Cataract surgery in either very long or very short eyes brings with it specific unique situations. Here, we will let you know the challenges involved with both the cases individually.

Cataract surgery for short eyes – Challenges involved

• Short eyes brings with them challenges like performing IOL calculations and the limitations of available IOL powers. This is because short eyes have a short axial length and a shallow anterior chamber. Such small corneal diameters make the effective lens position difficult to calculate. In fact, sometimes, even a maximum power IOL might not completely correct the refractive error. IOLs with flexible haptics are a good choice in such patients as they allow placement in a small bag. However, it is a challenge to match the right design with a very high power. With small axial length measurements, short eyes will have a larger refractive shift than that in normal eyes.

• During the preoperative examination, any endothelial weakness should be noted as such patients have a greater chance of cell loss during phacoemulsification. Also, patients with extremely short axial lengths and small white-to-white measurements may also be at a high risk for suprachoroidal hemorrhage. In addition, the standard phaco probe can induce more astigmatism in short eyes.

• The shallow anterior chamber makes creating a capsulorrhexis more difficult. To deepen the chamber, coexisting pathology may require partial pars plana anterior vitrectomy.

• During the surgery, there must be great care taken to protect the corneal endothelium as there is only limited room to plan and plot within a small eye.

Cataract surgery for long eyes – Challenges involved

• In long eyes, a peripheral retinal exam is required to detect pathology.

• Just like shorter axial lengths in short eyes have problems, longer axial lengths have their own challenges too. This is because as the axial length increases, measurements may become less reliable.

• After the surgery, long eye patients have higher risk of retinal detachments and tears.

• There is also a possibility of reverse pupillary block or lens/iris diaphragm retropulsion syndrome to occur.

With challenges faced with both short and long eyes, you must get in touch with a professional and reliable eye specialist if you suffer from similar conditions. If you have a normal eye and want to undergo a cataract surgery, there should be no problem at all. You can simply walk into Arohi Eye Hospital to get the best cataract surgery in Andheri West with the most successful outcomes. However, if you have cataracts, along with long or short eyes, it will require special attention and consideration. In such cases, you will need to have your eyes carefully evaluated and then, special considerations to be made before undergoing the surgery.

ALSO READ: Surprising Facts About Cataract Surgery