Aspects Of Cataract Surgery San Antonio Patients Need To Understand

By Dorothy Richardson


Cataract is a leading cause of blindness worldwide. It may occur congenitally (seen at birth) or may be acquired especially at old age. The main feature of the condition is cloudiness of the eye resulting in a reduction in visual acuity. Among newborns, its presence is associated with chemical or physical trauma of the fetus. There are a number of important things on cataract surgery San Antonio residents need to know if suffering from the condition.

There are several conditions that may mimic cataract making it vital for one to be thoroughly examined by an eye specialist before the diagnosis can be ascertained. The entire eye is examined for the presence of infections and other inflammatory conditions such as glaucoma. Once these have been ruled out, the client has to be evaluated for their suitability as a candidate for surgery.

If you meet the criteria to have surgery, the same will be scheduled at a time that is convenient to you and the operating team. One of the techniques used in performing the operation is known as phacoemulsification. Local anesthesia is first applied onto the eye so as to create a numbing effect (which in turn minimizes discomfort). This means that you will remain awake as the operation goes on.

The next step is to make a small surgical cut on the cornea (the foremost layer of the eyeball) using a laser beam. It is through this incision that the affected eye lens is removed from the eye. A lens that has been affected by cataract will be typically hardened and has to be broken down to smaller pieces for ease of removal. This is done with the aid of an ultrasound probe.

The form of management that is adopted is largely dependent on how advanced the condition is. If the lens has been damaged to a large extent, it has to be removed in its entirety. It is then replaced with an artificial alternative made of a material such as silicone, acrylic or plastic. On the other hand, if the damage is not too much, the lens can be cleaned and returned to its position.

Cataract removal surgery is a largely safe operation with at least 98% of the procedures being non-eventful. However, being a surgical operation there will always be a risk of complications. In the short term, eye infection, swelling and bleeding may be encountered. This risk is higher in persons that have pre-existing eye disease. Antibiotic and steroid eye drops issued after the operations are very useful in minimizing the risk of infections.

The surgery itself is straightforward. On average, one hour or less is needed to complete one operation. For patients in whom both of their eyes have been affected by the condition. Two operations are usually conducted within a few weeks. This provides time for the first eye to heal. You will notice marked improvement as soon as you leave the operating room and even more improvement will set in a several weeks.

The condition has been shown to recur in a small group of patients. This is primarily due to a condition termed posterior capsule opacification, PCO. During the recurrence, only the posterior part of the lens is affected. Another surgical procedure known as capsulotomy is required in such cases to restore normalcy. It is simpler than the initial surgical operation and lasts about five minutes.




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