Former Empress Michiko has undergone cataract surgery on both of her eyes, the Imperial Household Agency said Sunday.

The 84-year-old former empress has experienced vision difficulties for several years and had been hoping to have the surgery after retiring along with her husband former Emperor Akihito, who abdicated at the end of April.

She had the operation on her left eye on Sunday at a hospital in Tokyo, a week after undergoing surgery on her right eye, according to the agency.

She was wearing sunglasses when she arrived at the hospital by car at around 10:30 a.m. Sunday and headed home at around 4:30 p.m. with her left eye covered with gauze.

Earlier in the month, the former empress had been diagnosed with heart valve abnormalities, with the condition continuing to be monitored.

Former Emperor Akihito became the first Japanese monarch to abdicate in about two centuries, bringing an end to the Heisei Era spanning his 30-year reign. His elder son Emperor Naruhito ascended the Chrysanthemum Throne on May 1.