Cataracts: Not a Disease, But it Does Help to Rehearse for Post-op

You can't 'catch' cataracts. Cataracts - clouding of the lenses in your eyes - are normally caused by aging, and according to the Mayo Clinic, almost half of all Americans over 65 will have cataract problems and after the age of 75, as many as 70% will have cataracts. As we age, the same mysterious and irreversible metabolic changes that cause age spots and creaking joints, also causes the fibers that make up the lens, to become denser, allowing less and less light through.

Luckily for us, there is a remedy - a dramatic remedy - for this decreasing visibility. Where our predecessors would either wander about half blind, or rely on magnifying glasses to read the small print, we are fortunate to be able to have the clouded lenses replaced. Operating on the lens may not be a miracle of modern science; cataract surgery was mentioned in 5th century B.C. Sanskrit manuscripts and the first write up of cataract surgery in the western world was in the De Medicinae of 29 A.D. But what is a miracle of modern science is the fact that the surgery is now day surgery; it takes a matter of minutes to remove the almost opaque lens and replace it with a crystal clear plastic one.

Think of it! Day surgery? In the 1950's it required a 10 day stay in hospital. Twenty years ago it needed a two day stay - now it takes 20 minutes, and that's on the pessimistic side. According to one eye surgeon, 'The use of ultrasound enables us to melt the lens like a hot knife through butter and then vacuum it out. This means that the incision is usually only 1/8 of an inch long, and requires no stitches.'

'There is a downside to the day surgery,' a pre-op nurse cautioned. 'Because the hospital visit is over in a few hours, and they can walk out of the hospital with only a patch over their eye, the patients tend to dismiss the fact that they have had surgery - very delicate microscopic surgery.

There is a very good reason why patients are required not to bend over during the first 48 hours, or do any heavy lifting or shoveling for two weeks, and that reason is because there are no stitches in the wound. They must avoid any strain or pressure on the eye. For two days they must not bend over. Patients read, and listen to these instructions but it doesn't dawn on them what it really means.

Can they put their shoes on without bending over? Can they zip up a jacket without leaning over to look at the zip? Can they even find the buttons on their jacket? Would- be patients should organize their wardrobes before the surgery, and make sure the clothes they need for those first two days are handy. It is sometimes difficult enough to open a bottom drawer at the best of times, without having to bend at the knees and keep a straight back.

Patients understand the 'no shower' rule, but they are puzzled at the mention of pets. How are they going to ensure that they don't fall over their cat or dog, let alone figure out how to feed it without bending over? Let's assume that the patient uses a mouthwash every day, and it lives under their bathroom sink. Of course they can find the mouthwash without bending over - but can they replace it? Patients should practice picking things up straight-backed before the operation - not after.

Another thing; - during those 48 hours the patient should not become constipated.'

So, if you are one of the nearly 3 million Americans, (The American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery's survey found that 2.79 million cataract procedures were performed during 2005)), who are looking forward to cataract surgery and clearer vision, I suggest a few trips to the gym to get those knee joints working. As for the constipation - I'm told that a cup or two of apple juice works wonders.

www.mayoclinic.com/
www.wikipedia.org/