Cataracts Treatment

Question by Rattie: Scratch on my rat’s eye or something else?
Since my rat Edgar has had a stroke recently, I’ve been a little worried that he is over-vigorously grooming the paralysed/unresponsive side of his face. The nose and eye on that side both bleed fairly regularly, perhaps due to his forceful grooming.

Tonight whilst carrying him downstairs to investigate the house I noticed that his eye on the affected side was an odd shape, sort of squared off almost. Closer inspection showed some kind of bump on his eye in the form of a raised white line. The eye also seems rather dull and almost dry-looking at times.

I am not too worried about his vision, as he has never really been able to see too well anyway because of his colouration, but does the eye pose any other health risks to him if it IS damaged?

Is it likely that he accidentally scratched it during grooming or could it actually be a cataract? How do I tell the difference?

I don’t want to have his eye removed/operated on as it is a stressful surgical procedure upon an animal that isn’t really young any more, but if it’s likely to cause him serious harm then I might have to consider it.

I’m looking for peoples’ opinions before I take him to the vets about it so that I can get an idea of what we’re faced with and what to say to the vet in the first place, but I’ll certainly be taking him so there’s no need to remind me to do that.
1) HE’S A BOY.
2) IT’S 1:00 AM

Best answer:

Answer by Jade
Don’t ask people on Yahoo Answers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Take her to the clinic, the vet! Just take care of that scratch dude!

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Question by Mieren: Can anyone else use a Crystalens to see UV light?
After an eye injury, I developed a cataract. When I was 28, I had the lens removed and a Crystalens placed in my right eye. For a little while, the colors that eye saw were different. Eventually, most of the colors shifted to match the other eye.

The exception is that the eye with the Crystalens could see UV light from the beginning. It still can. The eye with a normal lens can’t see anything, but the replacement lens shows the light very clearly.

My optometrist has never heard of that before. But to be fair, very few people have cataract surgery at my age, and the lens is fairly new to the market. Older people that have this surgery usually have both lenses replaced. Since it’s just one for me, I can compare them. I can use a black light to navigate in places where everyone else is completely blind in the darkness. To me, the light seems to be vivid purple, a shade that I can’t match anywhere in the normal spectrum. The light is extremely bright, almost to the point of being painful if I use it for an extended span of time.

Can anyone else see UV light because of this lens?

Best answer:

Answer by Iconoclast6601
you are not seeing UV light…. not possible. frequency does not change when light passes through a medium. frequency is dependent on the source of the light. the visible spectrum of light is fixed for human beings, between 10^12 and 10^15 hz. therefore, it is impossible for you to be seeing UV light

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Question by Victory: Anyone else with artificial lenses have this happen…?
I’m told that my artificial lenses (had cataract surgery in both eyes) reflect light just as cats’ eyes do. I’m very excited about this, partly because I admire cats, but also because I’m sure I can learn to position myself correctly to reflect light at will and scare the beejesus out of snotty young people.

Can anyone else do this?
Monty: My sister says they are a light blue.

Best answer:

Answer by Suzie s
I have one artificial lens in my right eye, got it as I had a bad infection after a cornea transplant.
I don’t know about being able to reflect light, but there are a few people I would like to scare the beejesus out of.

Ha ha good question.

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Question by pyretic sphincter: Has anyone else had surgery for Cataracts?
I have congenital cataracts, and am 29 y.o. My vision is contantly changing because of the cataracts, I cannot see at night, and I have contstant dry eyes. I think the surgery is probably worth it but I was diagnosed by an optometrist not an opthamologist that could do the surgery. So I could not discuss pros and cons with them. I have heard there is a possibility of getting glaucoma or that my eyesight problems will not improve. Advice?

Best answer:

Answer by BlkBear
Best advice is to get a referral to at least 4 Ophthalmologist (that happen to be surgeons, as all Ophthalmologist are not also surgeons), and get their take on your particular cataracts. This of course is going to mean 4 different exams by each of these doctors, but if you are thinking surgery, you want to consult with the best options you can find in your area, because, after all, this is your eyes we are talking about.

Don’t worry about what you might get, find out what the best outcome for YOU as well as the worst outcome for you as well, with whatever surgery options they map out for you.

Take lots of notes, and make sure anything you do not understand, is explained until you can understand it. And for the sake of your sanity and the doctors, when they ask you… “So now that I have explained blah blah blah… do you have any questions?”… do not sit there and say NO, unless you actually don’t have any questions. (that list of notes you had been taking, should give you plenty of questions).

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Question by angel pie: I have diabetic retinopathy. Anybody else?
I was diagnosed with proliferative (sp?) diabetic retinopathy about 2 years ago. My eyes no longer have room for any more laser treatments. I had a vitrectomy on my right eye and the surgery did not work. (I only have central vision now in my right and it’s at 20/200.) I have had the cataract removed in my right eye as well. They now want to do the vitrectomy on my left eye. I don’t want the same thing to happen. Any suggestions?

Best answer:

Answer by angel1974
My dad had that done and now he can’t see out of his right eye. they wanted to do his left also but he won’t do it. He says he is fine just the way he is. I really dont know what to say i just wanted you to know your not alone.

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