A clouding of the lens is called a cataract (cataract).
If you think of the eye as a sophisticated camera, the lens is an important part of the lens. If the lens is cloudy, the quality of the image can be imagined.
Cataracts can be classified as senile cataracts (age-related), concurrent cataracts (complications of local or systemic abnormalities), traumatic cataracts, congenital cataracts, and so on. Among them, senile cataracts are the most common and are part of the aging changes of the body. As there are no clear and effective anti-aging drugs, the effect of medication for senile cataract is very unsatisfactory.
The diagnosis of cataract is based on: 1. visual acuity. 2. internal morphology of the lens (professional instruments required: slit lamp). Regular outpatient checkups are required after cataract diagnosis, usually once every six months.
The treatment for cataract is surgery. At present, more than 95% of cataract surgery in tertiary hospitals is ultrasound emulsification surgery combined with IOL implantation. Surgery is generally considered when vision has declined to the point that it affects daily life. “Cataracts should be operated only when they are ripe” was the viewpoint more than 20 years ago. For modern surgery, mature cataracts can cause more localized damage.
There are several options for implanted IOLs: monofocal spherical, aspheric, multifocal, toric, etc. The choice is based on the patient’s wishes (affordability, etc.), life and work needs, and the results of the preoperative examination.
The surgical procedure takes about 15 minutes.
Anesthesia: Several drops of anesthetic eye drops on the surface of the eye, consciousness is localized without pain.
The effect of surface anesthesia on the whole body is minimal, and it is recommended for elderly patients, especially those with systemic diseases such as heart, lung and kidney, and patients with high myopia.
Daily life can be resumed the day after surgery, and you can take a shower and wash your face, and burn vegetables. Precautions include gradual adaptation to bright light; appropriate reduction of eye use, etc.
Some patients may develop posterior obscuration (clouding of the capsule membrane that supports the IOL) after six months postoperatively causing vision loss, which can be restored by laser treatment. The treatment is usually 5 minutes, no anesthesia, and painless. Posterior capsule laser is done every Tuesday afternoon after my specialist clinic.