{"id":1846,"date":"2026-10-20T08:52:09","date_gmt":"2026-10-20T08:52:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/laseristanbulclinic.com\/eye-glossary\/posterior-capsule-opacification\/"},"modified":"2026-10-20T12:57:10","modified_gmt":"2026-10-20T12:57:10","slug":"posterior-capsule-opacification","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/laseristanbulclinic.com\/en\/eye-glossary\/posterior-capsule-opacification\/","title":{"rendered":"Posterior Capsular Opacification (PCO): Causes, Symptoms and Treatment"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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  1. Home<\/a><\/li>
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  4. Posterior Capsular Opacification (PCO): Causes, Symptoms and Treatment<\/span><\/li><\/ol><\/div>\t\t\t

    Posterior Capsular Opacification (PCO): Causes, Symptoms and Treatment<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

    Medically reviewed by {{surgeon}}<\/span><\/strong>, {{surgeon’s title and specialty}}<\/span>, on {{review date}}<\/span>. Last updated {{date}}<\/span>.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

    \"Illustration<\/figure><\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n\n\n
    \n\t\t<\/svg>Definition<\/span>\n\t\t\t

    Posterior capsule opacification (PCO)<\/strong>, also written posterior capsular opacification and also called secondary cataract<\/strong> or after-cataract<\/strong>, is the clouding of the thin, clear capsule that holds your lens implant after cataract surgery. It happens when leftover lens cells grow across the back of the capsule, and it can blur vision months or years after an operation that went well. It is not a new cataract. It is treated in minutes with a painless laser, YAG laser capsulotomy<\/strong>, which our cataract surgeons Prof. Dr. Ahmet Sat\u0131c\u0131, Do\u00e7. Dr. Muhammet Derda \u00d6zer and Op. Dr. Aysan Bayram perform.<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section>\n\n\n\n\n

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    Posterior capsule opacification: key facts<\/h2><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t
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    <\/svg>Also called<\/span><\/dt>
    Secondary cataract, after-cataract<\/dd><\/dl><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
    <\/svg>What it is<\/span><\/dt>
    Clouding of the lens capsule left in the eye after cataract surgery, caused by lens epithelial cells growing across it<\/dd><\/dl><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
    <\/svg>Who gets it<\/span><\/dt>
    Anyone with a lens implant; more likely if younger at surgery, or with diabetes, uveitis, myotonic dystrophy, retinitis pigmentosa or a past eye injury. In children, rates reach 100% (EyeWiki)<\/dd><\/dl><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
    <\/svg>How common<\/span><\/dt>
    20\u201350% of patients within 2 to 5 years of cataract surgery (EyeWiki); up to 2 in 5 people (US National Eye Institute)<\/dd><\/dl><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
    <\/svg>When it appears<\/span><\/dt>
    Weeks, months or years after surgery (NEI)<\/dd><\/dl><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
    <\/svg>Main symptoms<\/span><\/dt>
    Blurred or misty vision again, glare, halos, sensitivity to light, reduced contrast, trouble reading<\/dd><\/dl><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
    <\/svg>Treatment<\/span><\/dt>
    Nd:YAG laser capsulotomy: a quick, painless laser opening in the clouded capsule, no cut<\/dd><\/dl><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
    <\/svg>ICD-10<\/span><\/dt>
    H26.4 “after-cataract” (WHO); in US ICD-10-CM, H26.49x “other secondary cataract”<\/dd><\/dl><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
    <\/svg>Specialist<\/span><\/dt>
    Cataract surgeon (ophthalmologist); at Laser Istanbul Clinic, Prof. Dr. Ahmet Sat\u0131c\u0131, Do\u00e7. Dr. Muhammet Derda \u00d6zer or Op. Dr. Aysan Bayram<\/dd><\/dl><\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section>\n\n\n\n\n
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    \"Illustration<\/div><\/div>\n\t\t
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    What does the NHS say about posterior capsular opacification?<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

    The NHS says that after cataract surgery “sometimes your vision can become cloudy months or years after surgery”, and that this may be a condition called posterior capsule opacification (PCO). It advises seeing an optician if your vision becomes cloudy or blurry, or you find it hard to focus. The NHS adds that cataract surgery is usually successful and serious complications are rare. Its page does not explain how PCO is treated, so the details below come from the US National Eye Institute (NEI), the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) and its EyeWiki, which describe the laser treatment, how common PCO is and how it is prevented.<\/p>\n

    The key message from all of them is the same: PCO is common, it is not a returning cataract, and it can be fixed.<\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section>\n\n\n\n\n

    What causes posterior capsule opacification?<\/h2><\/div>

    During cataract surgery your surgeon removes the clouded natural lens but leaves the thin outer bag, the capsule, in place, because it holds the new artificial lens (intraocular lens, IOL). A few lens epithelial cells can remain on the capsule. Over months or years they multiply, migrate across the back of the capsule and turn it hazy. Because that haze sits right behind the implant, in the line of sight, light is scattered before it reaches the retina. EyeWiki calls PCO the most frequent complication of cataract surgery.<\/p>

    Who is more likely to develop it?<\/h3>