CATARACT Therapy. Treatment Make sure that eyeglasses or contact lenses are the most accurate...
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Transcript of CATARACT Therapy. Treatment Make sure that eyeglasses or contact lenses are the most accurate...
CATARACT Therapy
Treatment Make sure that eyeglasses or
contact lenses are the most accurate prescription possible
Improve the lighting in your home with more or brighter lamps
When outside during the day, wear sunglasses to reduce glare
Limit night driving
Think about how the cataract affects your daily life Can you see to do your job and drive safely Do you have problems reading or watching
television? Is it difficult to cook, shop, climb stairs or
take medications? How active are you? Does lack of vision
affect your level of independence? Are you afraid you'll trip or fall or bump into
something?
Sometimes a cataract should be removed even if it doesn't cause major problems with vision If it is preventing the treatment of
another eye problem, such as age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy or retinal detachment
If you have cataracts in both eyes and decide to have surgery, your eye doctor typically removes the cataract in one eye at a time
This allows time for the first eye to heal before the second eye surgery
Cataract surgery is the most common operation performed on patients over 65 years of age
More than 95% of patients have improved vision after surgery
Benefits include improvement in uncorrected and best-corrected visual acuity, improved binocularity, depth perception, and increased peripheral vision to enhance patients' ability to drive, read, work, and manage their own medications
Advances in surgical technique and more sophisticated technology have helped make surgery a safe and effective treatment for cataracts
Prior to surgery, your eye doctor measures the size and shape of your eye to determine the proper lens implant power
This measurement is made with a painless ultrasound test
Cataract surgery is typically an outpatient procedure that takes less than an hour
Most people are awake and need only local anesthesia
On rare occasions some people may need general anesthesia if they have difficulty laying flat or have claustrophobia
Two things happen during cataract surgery — the clouded lens is removed, and a clear artificial lens is implanted
Phacoemulsification During
phacoemulsification, phaco for short, the surgeon makes a small incision, where the cornea meets the conjunctiva
The surgeon then uses the probe, which vibrates with ultrasound waves, to break up (emulsify) the cataract and suction out the fragments
Once the cataract is removed, a clear artificial lens is implanted to replace the original clouded lens
This lens implant is made of plastic, acrylic or silicone and becomes a permanent part of the eye
Some IOLs are rigid plastic and implanted through an incision that requires several stitches (sutures) to close
However, many IOLs are flexible, allowing a smaller incision that requires no stitches
Patients usually go home the same day Patients are seen in the office the next day,
the following week, and then again after a month so that he or she can check the healing progress
It's normal to feel mild discomfort for a couple of days after surgery
You may wear an eye patch or protective shield the day of surgery
Your doctor may prescribe medications to prevent infection and control eye pressure
Post-op Course Patients are usually examined 1
day, 1 week and then one month after the surgery date
Complications of Surgery Vitreous Loss- 3.1% Vitreous Hemorrhage-0.3% Uveitis-1.8% Increased Eye Pressure- 1.2% Retinal Detachment- 0.7% Endophthalmitis- 0.13%
Post Operative Period Contact your doctor immediately if you
experience any of the following signs or symptoms after cataract surgery: Vision loss Pain that persists despite the use of over-
the-counter pain medications A definite increase in eye redness Light flashes or multiple spots (floaters) in
front of the eye Nausea, vomiting or excessive coughing
Posterior Subcapsular Opacity This condition occurs
when the back of the lens capsule eventually becomes cloudy and blurs vision
PCO can develop months or years after cataract surgery
Occurs approx. 20% percent of the time
Treatment for PCO is simple and quick
Laser capsulotomy is a quick, painless outpatient procedure that usually takes less than five minutes
Capsulotomy means "cutting into the capsule" and YAG is an abbreviation of yttrium-aluminum-garnet, the type of laser used for the procedure
YAG Laser Capsulotomy
A technique in which a laser beam is used to make a small opening in the clouded capsule to let light pass through
Post YAG Afterward, patients typically stay in the
doctor's office for about an hour to make sure the eye pressure is not elevated
In some people, particularly those who have glaucoma or are extremely nearsighted, YAG laser surgery can raise eye pressure
Other complications are rare but can include swelling of the macula and a detached retina
Most cataracts occur with age and can't be avoided altogether
Regular eye exams remain the key to early detection
You can take steps to help slow or prevent the development of cataracts
Do not smoke Smoking produces free radicals, increasing
your risk of cataracts. Eat a balanced diet
Include plenty of fruits and vegetables. Ultraviolet light protection since UV light
may contribute to the development of cataracts
Diabetes Control
New Frontiers Researchers are continuing to
explore new ways to prevent and treat cataracts, such as developing medications that would reduce or eliminate the need for surgery
Until then, cataract surgery is the method to restore vision