Although the medical term pseudophakia may seem intimidating to the ophthalmic layman, it is a very common eye condition that does not necessarily have any negative consequences for vision or general eye health.
On the contrary, the benefits of ocular pseudophakia usually far outweigh the possible disadvantages.
What is pseudophakia
So what exactly is the definition of pseudophakia in ophthalmology? Well, it is a physical condition (not an ocular disease or defect) in which a patient's natural crystalline lens has been replaced by an intraocular lens that performs the same functions as the crystalline lens.
In other words, this artificial intraocular lens allows focusing on objects located at short, medium and long distances from the eyeball with an efficiency that usually ranges from very acceptable to total efficiency.
In addition, the intraocular lens can be graded in different ways, which makes it possible to correct presbyopia and severe refractive problems.
Cases in which the patient's ophthalmological condition is pseudophakia
This happens:
- After a cataract surgery with removal of the crystalline lens and subsequent fitting of an intraocular lens.
- After corrective surgery for presbyopia or very severe refractive errors (in these cases the crystalline lens is also replaced by an intraocular lens).
- After any other circumstance (e.g. severe trauma to the eye) where an intraocular lens is required and can be implanted.
- When the patient was born with congenital ocular defects (lack of crystalline lens or irreversible dysfunction of the same) and it has been possible to place an intraocular lens to correct the congenital defect.
What are the consequences of pseudophakia?
And can pseudophakia have negative consequences that affect other aspects of the patient's eye or general health?
The correct answer is that some patients experience discomfort (but not pain), most often at night. Specifically:
- Glare caused by night-time lighting and especially by the headlights of oncoming traffic.
- Vision of halos around light bulbs and other light sources.
In many cases, both of these discomforts will spontaneously subside over time.
Other less frequently occurring consequences include:
- Secondary cataract: This complication occurs when the capsule that surrounds and holds the intraocular lens also becomes opaque. It is resolved by a posterior capsulotomy, a laser procedure.
It is relatively simple to carry out and does not usually entail complications. - Retinal detachment: is very rare, but there is a minimal risk of retinal detachment following surgery, which will need to be resolved by subsequent surgery.
- Dislocation of the intraocular lens: Also very rarely, the artificial intraocular lens may be displaced from the position in which it was initially placed. Corrective surgery is required to resolve this occurrence.
- Post-surgical infections: we clarify that, after intraocular lens implantation, the rate of ocular infections with complications during the post-operative period is very high. postoperative period is statistically negligible.
Pseudophakia and cataracts - are they the same?
No, not at all: the waterfalls are an eye condition in which the lens of the eye loses some or all of its natural transparency, seriously impairing vision or preventing vision altogether.
It is after cataract surgery (provided that there is no obstacle or problem preventing the placement of the intraocular lens) that the patient's ocular situation becomes one of pseudophakia.
What is the difference between aphakia and pseudo aphakia?
The medical term aphakia refers to the absence of the crystalline lens inside the eyeball, and includes the lack of an intraocular lens to replace it.
Therefore, patients whose ophthalmological situation is one of pseudophakia have previously undergone a period of aphakia, which may have lasted for only a few minutes (in the case of cataract surgery with intraocular lens implantation) or for an indefinite period of time.
If I have had cataract surgery with a monofocal lens even though years have passed, is it possible to achieve multifocality for near and distance vision without glasses?
In principle, yes, although an exhaustive preoperative study would be necessary to assess this possibility. In some cases it is possible to implant a "special" lens over the existing lens inside the eye, which corrects the refractive defects and provides multifocality.
Finally, we would like to inform you that at the Dr. Nebro Ophthalmology Clinic we have all the human and material resources to practice safely and effectively cataract surgery in FuengirolaThis includes the implantation of intraocular lenses.