YAG & SLT Treatment

YAG Laser Capsulotomy

Cloudy vision after cataract surgery? It may not be another cataract.

Sometimes, the clear membrane behind your artificial lens becomes cloudy after cataract surgery. This is called posterior capsule opacification (PCO).

A YAG laser capsulotomy creates a small opening in this cloudy membrane, allowing light to pass through more clearly and helping restore clearer vision.

If you've noticed blurred vision, glare, halos or decreased vision after cataract surgery, talk with your eye doctor to determine what's causing the change.

What is a YAG laser procedure?

After cataract surgery, some people notice that their vision becomes cloudy or blurry again. This usually does not mean the cataract has returned. Instead, the thin membrane that holds the artificial lens in place can become cloudy. This is called posterior capsule opacification (PCO), sometimes informally called a "secondary cataract."

PCO can develop months or even years after cataract surgery and may cause symptoms such as:

• Blurry or decreased vision
• Glare or sensitivity to light
• Halos around lights
• Reduced contrast
• Difficulty reading

How does YAG laser treatment help?

A YAG laser capsulotomy is used to treat PCO. The ophthalmologist uses a specialized laser to create a small opening in the cloudy posterior capsule. This allows light to pass through more clearly and can improve vision. The AAO describes laser capsulotomy as an effective treatment for PCO.

Importantly, the procedure is not another cataract surgery and does not remove or replace the artificial lens implanted during the original surgery.

What can patients expect?

YAG capsulotomy is performed using a laser rather than a surgical incision. The ophthalmologist directs laser energy at the cloudy capsule behind the artificial lens to create the opening needed for clearer vision.

Patients should still understand that, like any eye procedure, YAG capsulotomy has potential complications. These can include changes in eye pressure and, less commonly, inflammation, swelling in the retina (cystoid macular edema), retinal tears or retinal detachment, and damage to the implanted lens. Certain patients—including those with glaucoma, high myopia, previous retinal problems, uveitis, or previous macular edema—may require additional precautions or monitoring.

Selective Laser Trabeculoplasty (SLT)

Glaucoma treatment doesn't always mean daily eye drops.

Selective Laser Trabeculoplasty (SLT) is a laser treatment that can help lower eye pressure in certain patients with glaucoma or ocular hypertension.

SLT targets the eye's natural drainage system, helping fluid flow out of the eye more efficiently. Lowering eye pressure can help protect the optic nerve and reduce the risk of further glaucoma damage.

The treatment is performed without an incision and may reduce the need for glaucoma eye drops in some patients.

Have glaucoma or elevated eye pressure? Talk with your ophthalmologist about whether SLT may be an appropriate treatment option for you.

What is SLT?

Selective Laser Trabeculoplasty (SLT) is a laser treatment used to help lower eye pressure (intraocular pressure, or IOP) in people with certain types of glaucoma or ocular hypertension.

Glaucoma can damage the optic nerve, and elevated eye pressure is an important risk factor for that damage. Normally, fluid inside the eye drains through tissue called the trabecular meshwork. When fluid does not drain efficiently, pressure inside the eye can increase.

SLT is designed to improve drainage through this natural pathway and lower eye pressure.

How does SLT work?

During SLT, an ophthalmologist directs short pulses of laser energy at specific pigmented cells within the eye's drainage tissue. Unlike older forms of laser trabeculoplasty, SLT produces minimal structural change to the trabecular meshwork.

The treatment triggers biological changes that help fluid drain more efficiently from the eye. Better drainage can result in lower eye pressure, helping reduce an important risk factor for further glaucoma damage.

SLT is commonly used for open-angle glaucoma and ocular hypertension and can be considered either an initial treatment or alongside glaucoma medications.

What can patients expect?

SLT is an in-office laser procedure and does not require an incision. Numbing eye drops are used, and a special contact lens is placed on the eye so the ophthalmologist can direct the laser toward the drainage tissue.

One advantage of SLT is that it may reduce a patient's dependence on daily glaucoma eye drops. AAO's EyeWiki notes evidence from the LiGHT Trial showing that SLT used as an initial treatment provided sustained pressure control and reduced reliance on topical medications over six years of follow-up.

The effect of SLT can decrease over time, so patients still need regular glaucoma monitoring after treatment. In some circumstances, SLT may also be repeated.

As with any eye procedure, there are potential risks. A temporary increase in eye pressure is one of the more important complications following laser trabeculoplasty. Inflammation can also occur, which is why the ophthalmologist may check eye pressure and provide specific instructions following treatment.