Cataracts are the leading cause of blindness. The causes of cataract are many, and there are no effective drugs yet, and surgery is the best way to treat cataract. In our clinical work, we found that there are two major misconceptions about the timing of surgery – 1. Cataracts should wait until they are mature. The old view is that cataracts should wait until vision drops below 0.1 before surgery. This has several disadvantages. First of all, as cataract worsens, the damage to several tissues in the eye such as corneal endothelium, crystal suspensory ligament and iris tissue will increase, and the chance of postoperative complications will increase. Secondly, for patients with narrow atrial angle and the possibility of closed angle glaucoma, there is a possibility of inducing acute glaucoma attack during the process of cataract expansion. Once the acute attack occurs, changes such as iris atrophy, corneal endothelial damage and post-iris adhesions will occur, which will seriously affect the outcome of cataract surgery. Therefore, cataracts should not wait until the visual function declines to a very low level before surgery.
The more timely cataract surgery is done, the better the result. Human crystals can see far and near through adjustment. Although artificial crystals have been developed at a rapid pace in recent years, they are far from being comparable to human crystals in terms of adjustment range, adjustment speed and imaging quality. At the same time, in the early stage of cataract, the lens only shows refractive changes due to volume expansion, and simply put, the patient can obtain good vision by wearing glasses. Therefore, it is undesirable to blindly pursue early surgery while ignoring the possible postoperative disadvantages.
There is no fixed pattern for choosing the timing of cataract surgery. For a patient with a narrow atrial angle and a high demand for quality of life, early surgery at 0.5-0.6 vision can prevent glaucoma attacks while improving quality of life; for a patient who is used to wearing glasses, engaged in general work and does not have excessive demand for visual function, surgery can be considered first by adjusting his refractive status and later according to the development of the lesion. In this process, both doctors and patients need to have a full understanding of the disease and good communication.
Can a cataract in one eye be passed to the other eye?
Cataracts are caused by aging of the lens, and their development is gradual. Moreover, both eyes are symmetrical, so cataracts in one eye will also occur in the other eye, only to a different degree.
Can cataracts be prevented?
To date, there is no way to prevent cataracts from developing, but we do know that some factors can speed up the development of cataracts. These include ultraviolet light exposure, smoking, alcohol consumption, steroid use and other medications, and diseases such as diabetes. Therefore, we try to avoid these factors in our daily life to slow down the progression of cataracts.
What happens if cataracts are not treated?
Cataracts that have progressed to a certain level can seriously affect vision and even blindness.
How long does it take to recover after cataract surgery?
It usually takes about 1-3 months after surgery to be completely stable. During this time, you should order medication on time and review regularly; ensure that your eyes rest and do not overexert yourself; keep your eyes clean; avoid accidental impact and strenuous exercise, etc.