Posted by When you hear about surgery, what are those things that cross your mind? There are countless people here in Sydney that has lost their sight because they are scared of going through cataract surgery. Of course, cataract surgery can be risky if a professional ophthalmologist does not do it. Meanwhile, it is expedient for every individual to know some things about cataract surgery. We can’t say much about other places in Australia, but we can boldly talk about cataract surgery in Sydney. Several people that have gone through this surgery here in Sydney are all living a perfect life. Their sight and vision were regained totally.
However, this article aims at giving out some facts you need to know about this surgery. Are you ready for the ride? Let’s ride!
- What is cataract surgery? Cataract surgery is the process of removing the lens of your eyes and replacing it with an artificial lens. Although not in all cases is the lens has been replaced with an artificial lens. Initially, the lens of your eye is clear, but once you have a cataract, the lens begins to become cloudy, and it may eventually affect your vision. An ophthalmologist performs this surgery on an outpatient basis. Outpatient here means that you don’t need to stay in the hospital once the surgery is done. Also, going through surgery for cataracts is very common, and it is a safe procedure that is generally acceptable in the world. Cataract surgery is recommended when cataracts prevent you from driving at night when you find it so hard to read and other related problems attached to vision.
At first, your doctor must carry out some tests to check for cataracts and access to your imagination. The doctor will use an eye chart test to limit your vision at different distances, and he will also use tonometry to measure your eye pressure. There are different types of cataracts. And they have been classified based on where and how they develop in one’s eye. We have;
- Nuclear cataracts form in the middle of the lens. This type of cataract causes the nucleus to become yellow or brown.
- Cortical cataracts. These cataracts are wedge-shaped, and they form around the edges of the nucleus.
- Posterior cataracts. It forms faster than the above-listed types of cataracts. It only affects the back of the lens.
- Congenital cataracts. This cataract is present at birth; it forms during a baby’s first year.
- Secondary cataract. This type of cataract is caused by disease or medications.
- Traumatic cataracts
- Radiation cataracts
- What are the symptoms and causes of cataracts? Consider yourself a victim of a cataract if you noticed some symptoms like blurry vision, trouble seeing at night, and seeing colors as faded. Not only that, one may be feeling that there’s a need for frequent changes in prescription glasses. Also, you may feel double vision in the affected eye and halo surrounding lights. However, what are the causes of cataracts? Overproduction of oxidants, smoking, ultraviolet radiation, and radiation therapy. Furthermore, the long-term use of steroids and other medications can also cause cataracts. Some diseases such as diabetes can cause it. Click here to read about the Three best ways of diagnosing cataracts.
- Why do you need cataract surgery? Cataracts can cause blurry or dim vision, and they increase the glare from lights. Your doctor may suggest cataract surgery for you if you find it challenging to carry out your normal activities. Also, this surgery may be recommended when a cataract interferes with the other treatment of another eye problem. For instance, doctors may suggest cataract surgery if a cataract makes it hard for your eye surgeon to examine the back of your eye to monitor or treat other eye problems, such as age-related macular degeneration or diabetic retinopathy. However, when considering cataract surgery, there are some questions you need to keep in mind:
- Can you see clearly when driving?
- Do you find it so hard to read?
- Do you have problems watching television?
- Do vision problems affect your level of independence?
- How does bright light affect your vision?
In case you have the above-listed questions in mind, then you should consider cataract surgery.
- Risks in doing cataract surgery: It is uncommon to have complications after one has successfully done this surgery. And if there are any complications, they can be treated successfully. However, what are the risks in doing cataract surgery? This surgery may lead to infection, bleeding, and inflammation. Furthermore, other risks may include swelling, drooping eyelid, dislocation of artificial lens, and retinal detachment. Also, it is possible to discover glaucoma, secondary cataract, and loss of vision if this surgery is not done correctly. It is expedient to know that your complications are more significant if you have another eye disease different from cataracts. Sometimes, cataract surgery fails to recover vision because of elemental eye damage from other disorders, such as glaucoma or macular degeneration. Of course, it may be advantageous to assess and treat other eye problems before deciding to do this surgery.
- Precautions for cataract surgery: If you have decided to go through this surgery, your doctor might inform you not to eat or drink anything before the surgery. The ophthalmologist may also advise you to stop taking some medications that could increase your risk of bleeding during the process. It is expedient for you to inform your doctor if you’ve taken any medications for prostate problems. However, one can go home on the same day the surgery was done, but one will not drive. So, we will advise you to arrange a ride to take you home. Also, after the surgery, you might not be able to do some activities like bending and lifting a heavy object for a week or two weeks. Visit https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamaophthalmology/fullarticle/419628 to read about Ophthalmology.
Conclusion
In this write-up, we explained in detail the things you need to know about cataract surgery. We also provided some valuable and adequate information on precautions for cataract surgery. We also dig deep into the symptoms and causes of cataracts. Therefore, knowing this vital information will help you see cataract surgery in another way that is quite different from what other people are seeing out there.