Cataracts Treatment

Question by Tim: Any eye surgeons or nurses here?
I just went for cataract surgery in May for both of my eyes. And i was told by the nurse that my vision accuracy check is 6/6 today.

Can you tell me what is 6/6 exactly. i notice the chart says 6/7.5 etc to 6/120 what are them?

Another thing, i need to go for laser to clear the membrane but why did doctor suggest to do so a year later? Is it possible not to go for such treatment (due to $ issue)

Is this laser involving surgical table? if such my insurance company said they likely to settle my full bill.

any info on laser treatment will be most appreciated, such as why it is formed, the vision quality thereafter etc.

I am wearing a ready made reading glass of 100 degrees now. will it affect my subsequent vision if i don’t go for prescribe lens by the doctor?

Best answer:

Answer by Jennifer
I work in an ophthalmology clinic and by what my doctors do, is they prefer to wait to do additional procedures until the eye is fully healed. Your eye doctor is waiting to make sure your eye is healed from your recent surgery. Too much surgical trauma on the eye in too short of a time CAN lead to other complications, such as retinal swelling. .

You can choose to just follow the membrane and observe its course. If you have real good vision, like it sounds you have, then the risks of treating the membrane would probably outweigh the benefits. Any time you perform a laser procedure in the posterior part of the eye, there is scarring, which can affect your vision and make it worse.

6/6 vision is the same as 20/20, just in meters versus feet. The Snellen visual acuity test, the line chart, measures how well you see compared to what is perfect vision.. 6/7.5 would mean that you see at 6 meters what most people would see at 7.5 meters…and the same with 6/120, you see at 6 meters what a person with perfect vision would see at 120 meters.

The laser treatments for membranes TYPICALLY are not done in an OR setting, but rather a procedure room in the ophthalmology office (unless there are other conditions that would indicate general anesthesia).

Without knowing the KIND of membrane and its exact location you are speaking about it is difficult to say what the laser surgery truly would entail, the kind of laser used, and any associated improvements in vision, or potential visual deterioration.

If your reading glasses are working well for you now, it should not affect your future vision.

You should be having a postop followup examination soon…my doctors like to see their patients 1 week and 4-6 weeks postop…and these questions you have are very very good ones to ask them since they know all about YOUR eyes, the type of membrane, its location, the lasers they use, and the risks and benefits tailored individually to your situation.

As for getting insurance to pay for the procedure done as an outpatient….many times, the doctors can help with getting it paid by writing letters explaining why it is a medical necessity. This isn’t a guarantee, but it is another route.

What do you think? Answer below!

Question by Tim: Any Catarat surgeons here?
I am 34 yrs old, just done with on my left and right eye. Doctor told me that i will need laser to remove the membrane formed after the cataract surgery.

What is this all about? Is it considered as a surgical procedure as i am able to claim from my insurance company if it is a such.

How can I maintain or even improve my implant vision in the long run?
tks! sorry i suppose to post this at optical section. how come i post here instead.

Best answer:

Answer by Derby
you may want to ask this in the health section …to get better responses………….

Give your answer to this question below!

Question by Josh P: Problems with my dog. Need some help (Diabetes?)(Symptoms here)?
Just last night, and throughout the day today, I have had some big time problems with my dog. She is a 9 year-old female, she’s a Golden Retriever. She is a bit overweight for her body size.

Symptoms:
-Loss of sight – This is a bit inconsistant. At times she will run into things, but at times she will know where she is going. I have researched this, and have found that cataracts can occur extrememly quick without insulin. ( At times, she can see the color red)
-Lethargic – She doesn’t really want to interact with anyone. She will come at times, wanting to be stroked. She basically has just been laying around.
-Loss of appetite – Hasn’t eaten anything over the past 1 and a half days. She will drink a bit of water, but I will need to personally give it to her from my hand.

The vets in my area are closed this weekend and have pointed me to an animal hospital and hour away. I want to know if I can wait, and if I can, what do I feed her, do for her, etc.

Thanks for all help!

Best answer:

Answer by Joshua G
Maybe you need a cat. A dog is not a good pet.

What do you think? Answer below!

Question by curiousguy: anyone here undergone cataract surgery in mid 40’s? please give all details?
i am quite afraid of it. heard there are side effects. when exactly u have to do it? have u to wait for the cataract to ripen, or can it be done right away?

Best answer:

Answer by curious cook
I had cataract surgery a few moths back. It was painless, quick and done on an outpatient basis at Johns Hopkins. I now have a lens implant and I do not even feel it. Make sure you get your procedure done by a qualified, experienced doctor. Here is info you are looking for.

What is a cataract?
A cataract is a clouding of the eye’s natural lens. When the lens becomes cloudy, it interferes with the passage of light through the eye, resulting in a decrease in vision. The lens of the eye is similar to the lens of a camera. When the camera lens is not working properly you get a blurry photograph. When the lens of the eye becomes cloudy your vision decreases and things appear blurry.

What causes cataracts?
Most cataracts are related to the natural ageing of the eye. However, other factors can be involved. Some diseases, such as diabetes or glaucoma, or the use of certain medications, such as steroids, are thought to increase the chances of cataracts occurring. Often, a cataract only covers a small part of the lens; if sight is not greatly impaired there is no need to remove the cataract. However, if a large portion of the lens becomes cloudy, sight can be partially or completely lost until cataract removal occurs.

Who can have a cataract?
Cataracts can occur at any age. Most cataracts occur in people who are 60 years of age or older, although a smaller number of people develop cataracts between the ages of 45 and 60. Some cataracts occur in children at birth due to genetic disorders or if the mother had rubella (German measles). Cataracts due to injury can occur at any age.

What are some cataract symptoms?
If you have cataracts you may not realise it right away. Vision loss may be gradual, painless and hard to detect until significant loss has occurred. Depending on the nature and cause, cataracts can develop rapidly over a few months or slowly over many years. In older people, it is not unusual for cataracts to develop in both eyes but most of the time the cataract develops in only one eye at a time.
Some of the more common symptoms of cataracts include:
Blurred vision
Glare
Fading or yellowing of colours
Poor night vision
Double vision in one eye
Halos around lights

People with a cataract in only one eye may notice a loss of depth perception; this can cause problems in judging where stairs are and determining the distance of cars driving in front of them.

What treatment for cataracts is available?
Presently, there is no medication, eye drops, exercises or glasses to cure or prevent cataracts. Cataract surgery is the only way to remove a cataract. Cataract treatment is one of the safest and most common types of surgery. Cataracts cannot be removed with a laser, only through surgical incision. In cataract surgery the cloudy lens is removed from the eye. The focusing power of the removed lens is achieved by replacing it with a permanent intraocular lens implant (IOL), which has been selected to suit the specific eye measurements of each patient.

When should the cataract be removed?
For the most part it is up to the patient to decide when they want to undergo cataract surgery. This is very much an individual decision because each patient has different vision requirements. Questions concerning cataracts and the need for cataracts treatment should be discussed with an accredited optometrist and/or an ophthalmologist.

After surgery
Shortly after cataract surgery is completed, the patient may go home and resume almost all routine activities. However, it must be understood that complications may occur in all types of surgery. In cataract removal surgery, hemorrhage, infection, and swelling are all possible, but very uncommon. The chance of any significant complication is less than 1%. Cataract surgery is among the safest and most successful procedure in the medical field.

About a year after surgery, approximately 20% of the patients who undergo surgery for cataracts develop a haze of the capsular membrane surrounding the lens implant. Should this occur, YAG laser treatment is recommended. The YAG laser is used to create an opening in the clouded membrane, which significantly improves the patient’s vision. It is one of the safest treatments used in ophthalmology. It is painless, requires no anesthesia or incision, and takes only minutes to complete.

Give your answer to this question below!

Question by Sandy B: Anyone had cataract surgery?Anyone here have it done for monovision?One eye for distance-other for reading?
Have you adjusted to it being mono–are you glad that you did it that way???
I wore contacts for years using the monovision and it worked well. I cannot wear contacts now as the cataract is bad. I already had right done for distance. Are there any negative side effects of monovision?

Best answer:

Answer by johnandmisty_99
I would suggest trying monovision with contacts before having cataract surgery. It is possible to go back in and change the lens implant after surgery if you are not satisfied, but the risks of complications deter our doctors from doing it much. Women do tolerate monovision better than men, so that is good. Do your doctors offer the Restor lens implant?? It is a out of pocket expense, but it gives you distance and near with both eyes. There is another lens that gives you distance and intermediate. It is called Rezoom. Our doctors will do the Restor in one eye and Rezoom in the other to give you distance, near and intermediate. There are many options available now, but I would not do the monovision unless you have tried it before.

Some people are unable to tolerate the difference in prescription from one eye to the other. This can cause problems with depth perception. Men seem to have more trouble with this than women. I think that if you had monovision before and was happy with it, you should be fine.

Know better? Leave your own answer in the comments!