Question:
54 year old male had cataract surgery on left eye in July. All was
GREAT for 3 1/2 weeks. I followed instructions for eyedrops ,
gradually reducing dosages as instructed. About 3 1/2 weeks after
surgery woke up with eye extremely irritated and vision very cloudy.
Rushed back to doctor and they discovered eye was inflamed and
increased dosage of Econopred to 4 times a day and told me to stay at
that level. Now 2 1/2 weeks later still wake up with extremely cloudy
vision in left eye which gradually clears up as day progresses. Is this
what I have to look forward to the rest of my life ???? I wouldn't have
had the surgery if I had known this. I'm still on the 4 dosages of
Econopred daily and doesnt seem to be helping ???? Anyone else had this
trouble ????
Answer:
1. Cataract surgery IS elective. That means your you do it WHEN it reaches a
point YOU need it done. Except in extreme cases, cataracts do not damage the
eye or make you go blind. This is different from something else, say a
serious cardiac problem, where the surgery is really not elective, because
if you don't have it, you will die. The non-elective cataracts are ones that
are provoking a glaucoma attack, or where it precludes examining or treating
the eye, such as laser photocoagulation for diabetic retinopathy hindered by
the cataract.
2. You are virtually never "too old" to have cataract surgery. You may be
too sick to undergo the stress, but not too old. My own oldest cataract
patient so far was 102 years old. Is that old enough for you? I frequently
operate on people in their 90's.
3, This has nothing to do with the 54 year old patient's problems mentioned
above. Sounds like he still has inflammation, which should be treatable and
hopefully gradually resolve. Surgery is ALWAYS a situation of risks, and you
can never know what will happen in one's own individual case beforeheand.
