Cataracts and glaucoma are both frequent and common diseases in the elderly, and many elderly people suffer from both of these eye diseases at the same time or in succession. Since glaucoma develops to a point where surgery is required, the only effective treatment for cataracts is also surgery. As a result, some older adults need two surgeries. Will these two surgeries affect each other? In this regard, Dr. Ye Xiang, director of cataract specialist at Fuzhou Eye Hospital, said that glaucoma surgery can destroy the structure of the eye, which does make cataract surgery more difficult, but choosing the right technique is equally safe and effective.
Can I have cataract surgery again after having glaucoma surgery?
Chen, who lives in Fuzhou, had glaucoma surgery 10 years ago. In the last two years, his vision in both eyes has been seriously reduced. A few days ago, Chen went to the cataract clinic of Fuzhou Eye Hospital, where the director of the department, Ye Xiang, examined him and said that his vision was only 0.2 in both eyes, which was a clear diagnosis of “cataract in both eyes”. Director Ye explained that usually cataracts may appear 1 to 2 years after glaucoma surgery and will worsen year by year. Surgery is recommended as soon as possible.
“I had glaucoma surgery before, can I have cataract surgery again now? Will two surgeries be too much damage to my eyes? Should I wait until the cataract is more mature and I really can’t see before I do it again?” Old man Chen was a little worried and torn about another surgery. Director Ye Xiang said that once glaucoma attack and glaucoma surgery trauma will destroy the structure of the eye, such as the emergence of pupil deformation, shrinkage, corneal endothelial cell reduction and other complications, which adds difficulty to cataract surgery now. This type of cataract surgery would be more appropriate and safer if micro-incision ultrasound emulsification technology is used, and there is absolutely no need to wait until the cataract is mature before doing it.
After listening to the professional explanation, Uncle Chen’s heart was enlightened and he was willing to undergo the surgery. Dr. Ye chose the 1.8mm micro-incision ultrasound emulsification technique for Dr. Chen, and the surgery was successfully completed in just ten minutes. Half a month later, Chen had cataract surgery on his second eye, and his vision also reached 1.0 after the surgery. Do you want to operate for glaucoma with cataract, the doctor suggested three points 65-year-old Mr. Gu was diagnosed with “chronic closed-angle glaucoma in both eyes” many years ago, and had been taking eye drops to control the pressure. He has been taking eye drops to control his IOP, but in the last year, his IOP has been fluctuating around 20mmHg and his vision has been gradually declining. After going to the hospital for examination, it was found that although the IOP was not significantly elevated, she had cataract. The old man was also torn about whether to have cataract surgery, and recently, he went to the cataract specialist of Fuzhou Eye Hospital for consultation.
After reading Mr. Gu’s information, Dr. Ye Xiang made three points: first, although the current medication can control the intraocular pressure, it cannot effectively prevent further aggravation of glaucoma and there is a possibility of acute attack; second, cataract is an important cause of aggravation of closed-angle glaucoma, which means that cataract surgery can not only improve vision, but also effectively control glaucoma, and there is basically no longer a need for glaucoma medication after surgery. Thirdly, the damage of glaucoma to the optic nerve is irreversible, and the later the surgery is done, the worse the effect will be.
In the end, Mr. Gu also gladly accepted the 1.8mm micro-incision ultrasound emulsification technique. As expected, after the surgery, his vision reached 1.0 and his eye pressure was under control. “I really should have had the surgery earlier, now life is easy and I don’t have to think about eye drops every day.” Uncle Gu was very emotional.
Glaucoma combined with cataract is best to do micro-incision surgery Ye Xiang, director of the glaucoma combined with cataract is more complex, whether it is medication or surgery, can not be generalized, need to do a detailed examination to determine. Glaucoma patients have smaller eyes and abnormal structures, so the chances of intraoperative complications are higher. In order to ensure stable intraocular pressure and less trauma during surgery, patients with glaucoma complicated by cataract are advised to choose microincision ultrasound emulsification technique and have it done by skilled surgeons.
According to the introduction, the 1.8mm micro-incision Stellaris ultrasound mammography machine, which is the world’s smallest ultrasound mammography device in terms of incision, the tiny incision can make the surgery safer and more delicate, the thickness of the implanted IOL can be thinner and more stable in the eye, providing excellent visual quality and also effectively reducing the recurrence rate of cataract. Microincision surgery is suitable for all types of complex cataracts, such as glaucoma-complicated cataract, diabetic cataract, high myopia-complicated cataract, traumatic cataract, and pediatric cataract.