I though this may be useful information for those with catatracts. Carlos WITH INSERTION OF AN INTRA-OCULAR LENS IMPLANTTHIS FORM IS PROVIDED FOR YOUR INFORMA TION AND AS WRITTEN VERIFICATION THAT YOU HAVE DISCUSSED THE PROPOSED SURGERY WITH DR. XX. The following is a list of SOME of the potential risks and complications of the proposed surgery. It is impossible to include ALL such risks and complications, but these are either more SERIOUS or more frequent. 1 With any surgery there is always a risk of hemorrhage or infection. The risk is greater if you are on blood thinners(anticoagulants). Most often these events are not sight threatening. In about one in a thousand cases, there is a serious infection or hemorrhage which may threaten sight. The risk of loss of the eye with cataract surgery is less than one in ten thousand 2. If the eye is otherwise healthy the vision will be sufficient to drive or read 95-98% of the time after surgery. In about 5% if patients the vision is no better or worse than it was before. This may be due to pre-existing problems at the back of the eye in the retina. This cannot always be predicted before surgery. 3. Additional surgery is required in less that 1% of patients and may include: Wound repair or resuture Removal of cataract remnants Corneal transplant Lid droop repair Removal or replacement of the intra-ocular lens is required in less than one in a thousand cases 4 Increased intra-ocular pressure (glaucoma) or inflammation occur occasionally but are usually treatable with medication. 5 Your glasses' prescription may improve after surgery. A standard lens implant can only focus at one distance; you will still require glasses for reading or distance or both. Before surgery you will have been tested with an ultrasound machine to determine which strength of lens impiant is right for your eye. Occasionally the ultrasound reading is not perfectly accurate. Your vision without glasses may not be as good as hoped and the glasses you require may be thicker than expected. The eye takes several weeks to heal enough to allow for a stable eyeglasses prescription. 6. The material in the implant has been used in eyes successfully for over 40 years and can yield excellent results. Lens implant technology is in constant development and newer designs may also be available to you. Your surgeon may wish to recommend a different style or material for the implant depending on your particular condition. 7. Without cataract surgery the vision continues to deteriorate, glaucoma may develop or the eye may stop being used altogether and, therefore, may drift in or out. 8. The implant is supported inside the eye by at a membrane which may become cloudy with scar tissue over time. About 20% of patients eventually require a minor laser treatment to clear the line of sight. ****** delete "nnoospam" for e-mail reply
This procedure seems to be very safe. Serious side effects are less than 1%. You can research through web sites for Doctors on the web. If you can understand the lingo it's the best place to get answers.
