Cataract lesson 4 | treatment by @nov001 | 50% to @campusconnectng

Cataract treatment

Today, for the treatment of cataracts, doctors use an integrated approach that combines drug therapy and surgical methods of treatment. The drugs used can slow down or temporarily stop the development of the pathological process. However, the process of clouding the lens is irreversible, to date there is no medicine that could completely cure cataracts.

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For this reason, the only effective method of treatment is ultrasonic cataract phacoemulsification (USFEK) - a surgical intervention that consists in replacing the clouded lens with an artificial intraocular lens (IOL). USFEK is one of the most common and successful procedures in ophthalmology.
The operation takes 15-20 minutes, the procedure is completely painless and well tolerated by patients, as it is performed under local anesthesia (with the help of anesthetic drops). 4 out of 5 patients reported that cataract surgery was much easier than they expected.

After cataract surgery, patients notice the
following changes:

• it became easier to read;
• increased social activity;
• the number of stressful situations has decreased;
• reduced risk of falling;
• reduced the likelihood of traffic accidents due to improved response.

Choice of vision correction technology

Only an ophthalmologist can choose the right artificial lens (intraocular lens - IOL) and decide on the possibility of an operation. There are several types of IOLs:

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Monofocal lenses.
Provide the best quality of vision at a certain distance (near or far). After these lenses are implanted, patients must wear glasses for reading or for distance vision.

Multifocal lenses.
Allow patients to see well at various distances (near, medium and far) and reduce or eliminate the need for glasses after surgery.

Toric lenses.
They allow to obtain high visual acuity for patients with cataracts, who also require correction of the initial corneal astigmatism.

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Contraindications for cataract removal

Surgical removal of the cataract and replacement of the lens of the eye with an intraocular lens is the only effective method of treating the disease. However, there are a number of absolute and relative contraindications in which the operation is considered impossible:

• infectious diseases of the eyes;
• increased intraocular pressure in decompensated glaucoma;
• During pregnancy and breastfeeding;
• exacerbation of various somatic pathologies;
• severe forms of diabetes;
• oncological processes, especially those accompanied by the formation of tumors and metastases;
• progression of multiple sclerosis to severe stages.

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Prevention of cataract

Since cataracts are considered part of the aging process and are dictated by already understood biological processes, everyone is susceptible to its development to some extent. To drastically reduce the probability of developing the illnesse, doctors recommend:

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throughout life, try to use high-quality sunglasses, protecting your eyes from the negative effects of ultraviolet radiation;

eat well, make sure that the diet regularly contains foods rich in vitamins and trace elements that are useful for vision;

give up bad habits, smoking, alcohol abuse and, especially, the use of drugs;

monitor the state of the body, treat pathologies of the endocrine system in time;

if, due to your professional activities, you have to work at a computer for a long time, try to do exercises for your eyes, use special eye drops; annually undergo an examination by an ophthalmologist.

Early diagnosis of eye diseases is the key to successful treatment! Your vision is priceless!

The End