Cataracts are the most common visual impairment disease. It develops slowly and painlessly, so we usually ignore its symptoms. And this is one of those diseases that can be effectively treated by modern medicine - an interview with Dr. Jolanta Officialalska, specialist in eye diseases at Lexum clinics.
We are starting to see worse, so we go to an ophthalmologist to get glasses. In the office, it turns out that it iscataract- the lens in the eye is cloudy.Ultrasonic phacoemulsificationallows you to replace it with an artificial, perfectly transparent one. How cloudy amber turns into a diamond in ophthalmology, we ask Jolanta Officialalska, an eye disease specialist at Lexum clinics.
- Is cataract a condition inevitably associated with aging?
Dr Jolanta Officialalska: Yes. The development of cataracts is accelerated by, inter alia, diabetes and certain medications, e.g. steroids. Cases of congenital cataracts are extremely rare.
- How to recognize cataracts?
J.O .: Patients usually complain of hazy vision, weakened sense of color, blurring or blurring of perceived images. They have problems with performing everyday activities, such as: driving a car, reading, working at the computer, and in advanced cases even with the simplest everyday activities, e.g. they fail to pour water into a glass. The clouding of the lens progresses gradually over many years. It is important that the patient is operated on when the condition is not advanced. This allows you to significantly reduce the risk of complications.
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J.O .: There is currently no cure for cataracts. At most, the specifics available on the market can slow down the development of the disease. However, while until recently, surgical treatment was quite risky in the opinion of patients and was associated with a hospital stay, today the surgical technique using the phacoempsification method enables cataract removal in several minutes. J.O .: The procedure consists in removing the cloudy lens: first it is broken with ultrasound, then sucked out, and then an artificial lens is implanted in its place. It takes up to 20 minutes, while the stay in the operating theater and preparation itself takes about an hour and a half. After the procedure, the patient goes home straight away. In case of periocular anesthesia, he wears an eye bandage for three hours, in case of anesthesia with drops, it is not necessary. J.O .: There is nothing to be afraid of, as much as 70 percent. ophthalmic procedures are for cataracts. The operation, performed on an outpatient basis, is completely painless, most often performed under simple drip anesthesia. During the procedure, the doctor talks to the patient, tells him what is happening, tells him where to look. The most important thing is the effect: the patient leaves the clinic and sees well again. While I would compare the cataract lens to amber, a beautiful stone, but not transparent, the implanted one resembles a pure brilliant. What lenses are implanted? "Zdrowie" monthly