Is it normal to have retinal swelling and corneal abrasion after cataract surgery? i'm 54 had lasik in left eye 3/30/05 no problems good results. had cataract surgery on 4/21/11 vision 20/200 swelling retina 350 micron with wrinkles and severe corneal abr

The : The cornea should heal completely in several days. The retinal wrinkles may represent chronic cystoid edema. Possible preretinal membrane. Often an intraocular injection of steroid is needed. See a university based retinal specialist.

The : The use of a hard contact lens should compensate for any corneal irregularity. Therefore, your decreased vision may be due to macular edema (retinal swelling). A macular thickness of 320 microns is greater than the normal macular thickeness of ~200 microns. Additional treatment options may include intravitreal steroid injection or macular laser. Discuss further treatment options with your ophthalmologist. A referral to a retina specialist may be also valuable, if not already considered.

Uncommon: Macular edema and corneal abrasion are uncommon after cataract surgery and require additional therapy. See your eye surgeon.

Not typical: Corneal abrasion is unusual but can occur and usually heals within a few days. Macular edema is more serious and is treated with nonsteroidal anti- inflammatory drops. Macular pucker or epiretinal membranes can predispose to cystoid macular edema. Retinal examination prior to cataract surgery can identify eyes at risk unless the density of the cataract prevents an adequate retinal examination.

Perhaps: Corneal abrasion at the time of cataract surgery can happen, but it is very rare. Certain conditions can increase the incidence (dry eyes, blepharitis, even previous lasik). The retinal swelling also is somewhat rare to the level you are describing, but it too still happens. Conditions like diabetes, uveitis history, and pre-existing wrinkling of the retina (epiretinal membrane) increase risk.