May
05
2010
Can someone die from a cataract surgery?
Posted by: in cataract treatment, tags: Cataract, From, Someone, Surgery
Is there any chance of something going wrong and the person dying?
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May 5th, 2010 at 12:28 pm
there is always a risk of dying with ANY surgery thats what ive been told…
ive had over 20 surgeries and even for the most simplest ones they always say there is a chance of death. because they dont want to be held liable if something does go wrong.
May 5th, 2010 at 1:03 pm
It is highly unlikely but it is possible…
There is a risk of complications from ANY surgery… Ever…
I have a friend that almost lost his foot because he got a cactus needle stuck in his toe…
I have a friend that almost died because she got her ear pierced and it got infected… It ate her ear and her doctor told her that if she had waited another few HOURS before coming to the ER, it would have spread to her brain and killed her…
There is ALWAYS a possibility of bad joo-joo but does it mean it is likely? No…
It is better to get the necessary surgery and live a better life then to worry about the possible negative outcomes and live in pain or blindness…
May 5th, 2010 at 1:10 pm
There is risk with any surgery, including eye surgery like cataract surgery. I doubt anyone would die directly from the cataract surgery but it is possible they could have an allergic reaction to the local anesthesia or even a heart attack from the local. The worst case scenario is infection in the eye or eyes after surgery. In that case you could go blind if not treated. 99% of all cataract surgeries are successful if that helps. I had cataract surgery a couple of years ago at a young age. I am not a diabetic. I was told not to move , cough, or even talk during the surgery as that could cause me to go blind if the dr were to make a mistake. You are given sedatives too to keep you calm. After the surgery while still numb from the local ( which is a spray on the eye not a needle in the eye) they give you an antibiotic into the eye..that is done with a needle but you feel nothing. I felt nothing during the surgery and was awake the entire time. Just relaxed and the surgery took less than 8 minutes.
May 5th, 2010 at 1:46 pm
there is always a chance someone could die (with any surgery)
but it is highly highly highly unlikely someone would die due to getting a cataract removed.
if someone did die while having a cataract surgery it would most likely be due to a bad reaction with the anesthesia. it wouldn’t have anything to do with the actual surgery.
cataract surgery is a routine procedure and most people are only put under sedation not general anesthesia so there is even less of a risk for death.
i’ve had 6 eye surgeries and i’m still here. i had a cataract removed in one of my surgeries. and i’m going to wills eye center in philadelphia on tuesday to discuss the removal of a cataract on my other eye.
May 5th, 2010 at 2:12 pm
The simple answer is “yes.” However, the risk of death during or immediately after cataract surgery is VERY RARE in someone who is in good health. Generally, there is some other condition such as severe heart disease that makes even the mild stress of cataract surgery too much for the body to take.
Risks can be minimized, but not eliminated, by completing a thorough pre-operative assessment of the anesthesia risk. This is generally done by an internist, not the eye surgeon.
The more likely (though still uncommon) risks to the eye (retinal detachment, infection, loss of vision, etc.) can be minimized by a proper assessment of the eyes. Probably the most important decision someone who is considering eye surgery must make is what surgeon to choose. I have created a document for my cataract patients to help them in choosing a surgeon. The article can be viewed by clicking this link:
http://sgveye.com/en/resources/35-about-your-eyes/233-10-things-you-must-know-before-choosing-your-cataract-surgeon
The advice in this document can be applied to choosing any surgeon in any specialty, not just cataract surgeons.
Sincerely,
David D. Richardson, M.D.
Medical Director
San Gabriel Valley Eye Associates, Inc.
“LA and So Cal’s Trusted Source of Eyecare”
207 S. Santa Anita Street, Suite P-25
San Gabriel, CA 91776
626.289.7856