YAG capsulotomy is usually not necessary if symptoms are mild and do not affect day‑to‑day activities, even when PCO is visible.
When monitoring is preferable
Small risks rarely justify minor benefits.
- Comfortable driving, reading, and working with only subtle haze
- Glare or blur noticed only in specific, easily avoided situations
- Good visual acuity and contrast on testing
- Patient content to delay intervention until change is more obvious
- Regular eye checks arranged to reassess if symptoms progress
Possible exceptions
In some roles, even mild symptoms matter.
- Pilots, professional drivers, or visually demanding occupations
- People particularly troubled by small quality‑of‑vision changes
- Eyes where slight extra clarity would significantly help another condition
- Shared decision that the benefit outweighs the small laser risk
- Clear documentation of reasons if YAG is undertaken at an early stage
