Hi Ke Xin,
Yes, the results after cataract surgery are permanent. This is because we do not expect the eye to change much in adulthood.
However, if there are external factors that cause the eyeball to grow or develop astigmatism, such as excessive eye rubbing or prolonged near work, there may be changes in the cornea or eyeball length that bring about a change in the spectacle power. This can easily be correct with a new spectacle prescription.
Another change which can occur to the lens implant is that it may develop lens opacification or ‘clouding’. This does not occur in everyone but approximately 50% of all post-cataract surgery patients. It normally develops within 1 to 5 years and it will appear as a ‘clouding’ of your vision.
Why it appears is because our lens proteins or cells proliferate to form a hazy film on the posterior capsule of the lens. This problem can be easily rectified by undergoing a simple laser procedure that is painless, takes 5 minutes with no downtime and can be done in the clinic.
You can think of it as a ‘polishing’ of the lens that has gotten ‘dirty’ over time. The good news is that you will only need to ‘polish’ your lens once, and it will be clean forever.
