CANNOT SEE TO READ

I am 65 and my vison in the last two or so years has been getting
worse for reading. I have been buying magnafying reading glass.

Now, when I try to read, it is like looking through glasses that are
smeered with vasaline. I had my vision checked and got perscription
reading glasses. There is absolutely no difference and I still cannot
focus to read. My distance vison is failing too.

Reading through various web sites and Usenet Groups, I have concluded
that there so may different possible vision problems that I could
never determine what my problem is over the Internet.

My problem is complicated by my living in Panama. I went to who I
thought was an opthomologist but he was an optometrist. ( There is a
language barrier since my Spanish is not perfect.) I told him that I
did not think prescription glasses would solve my problem but I went
ahead and had them made anyway.

I am going to see an eye surgeon next week who maybe can help me.

 

You are quite right that there are many different possible reasons for
your vision difficulties, but your age and symptoms would indicate
that cataracts are a likely source of the problem. Cataracts are when
the natural lens within the eye becomes cloudy.

Cataract surgery involves removing the old cloudy lens and replacing
it with an artificial lens.

A comprehensive evaluation by a medical eye doctor does seem to be in
order.

Glenn Hagele
Executive Director
USAEyes (R)
Patient Advocacy Surgeon Certification

"Consider and Choose With Confidence" (TM)

Email to glenn dot hagele at usaeyes dot org

http://www.USAEyes.org

Lasik Bulletin Board
http://www.USAEyes.org/Ask-Lasik-Expert/

I am not a doctor.

Copyright 2008
All Rights Reserved

 

Sorry to hear you have Fuchs. When the original poster is examined the
doctor should be able to see if the problem is a cataract. If it is
not, then Fuchs may be a possibility. It is, however, rather rare.

Glenn Hagele
Executive Director
USAEyes (R)
Patient Advocacy Surgeon Certification

"Consider and Choose With Confidence" (TM)

Email to glenn dot hagele at usaeyes dot org

http://www.USAEyes.org

Lasik Bulletin Board
http://www.USAEyes.org/Ask-Lasik-Expert/

I am not a doctor.

Copyright 2008
All Rights Reserved

 

Does Fuchs's appear to be similar to a mass of blood (or similar material)
in that when the eye is not very active it spreads across the vision to
simulate a very thin covering and when the eye is active it coalesces into a
blob that may cover 50 percent of the field of view (sitting in the center)?

 

thanks, mike, for the clarifications of a number of points that irked
me when I read this thread from the start.

Fuch's is quite easy to diagnose in a simple slit-lamp evaluation.
And its possible but not likely that the original poster really has
this condition anyway so its mention takes the thread off a little off
topic. I think the most likely conditions that need to be ruled out
are simple refractive changes, cataracts, and potential retinal
problems (diabetic retinopathy, macular degeneration, etc.) And such
an examination is directly in line with the skills and scope of
practice of optometrists, as well as ophthalmologists, both groups who
have "medical" training regarding the eye.

 

====================

Thanks for the info.

 

Fuch's is commonplace. 1% of the population is quite a lot of
people. I see people with various stages of Fuch's in my practice on
a weekly basis.

Cataract surgeons are particularly alert to endothelial cell problems
like Fuch's since those patients tend to have a higher rate of
complications than people with healthy endothelial cells.

In its final stages, Fuch's can cause reduced vision, fluctuating
vision, and pain. However, according to my training and experience,
moderate Fuch's such as you seem to have is not a significant
contributer to reduced vision. Perhaps you have cataracts, and the
Fuch's has got the attention of your surgeon simply because it could
impact the success of your surgery. If so, then cataracts is the
primary problem and Fuch's is simply an aggravating circumstance that
complicates your surgery.

Why are you planning on seeing a corneal surgeon? A corneal
transplant (aka penetrating keratoplasty) is an appropriate treatment
for end-stage Fuch's where the cornea is becoming opaque and acuity is
significantly compromised. Is that what your doctor is telling you?
Believe me, you don't want a corneal transplant unless its absolutely
necessary because even a successful outcome is generally not very good.

 

indeed. the procedure is called DSEK. there is not yet exhaustive
clinical experience with this procedure versus penetrating
keratoplasty but it appears to be significantly better. the biggest
problem you may have is finding a surgeon who has a lot of experience
with it. but this is something you need to discuss with your doctor.