cataracts

annii1

Registered User
Jul 5, 2012
194
0
west sussex
Mum very confused and we aren't sure whether she would manage an eye test to follow up her cataracts with optician. Mum loses her glasses and doesn't wear them, but should we try an eye test. Really don't feel that she should be put through ant surgery for cataracts as they get worse, but want to do the right thing.
 

Spamar

Registered User
Oct 5, 2013
7,723
0
Suffolk
I'm going to have the surgery, probably in late summer.
Cataract surgery is usually fine under local anaesthesia, but you have to be able to lie still for 30-45 mins. I think it can be done under general, but your mother, like most dementia patients, will probably come out much worse than she us now.
Would she allow eye drops to be applied, and not rub her eyes? Possibly not. All these are contra-indications..
 

nitram

Registered User
Apr 6, 2011
30,075
0
Bury
You say cataracts, they will only do one at a time, are both eyes equally affected?
How bad is her vision without the op?
Can she read, even with improved vision would she be able to read?
Can she watch TV, does she want to watch TV?
The biggest problem is likely to be not rubbing eyes after op and accepting eyedrops.
Have a talk to her GP and see what (s)he thinks, ie get it out of the ophthalmic area and into the general health area.
 

teahound

Registered User
Apr 19, 2013
46
0
Hi annii1,

When my mum saw the opticians last I also wondered how useful it would be. My mum also never wears her glasses anymore and finds it hard to comunicate.

It turned out they could find out a lot about the health of her eyes, pressures etc without much being needed from her. She mainly just had to keep her eyes open whilst they did their tests.

My mum also has cataracts and like you I wouldn't want her to have an operation as she wouldn't cope with the aftercare and I wouldn't want her to have anaesthetic. I said this to the optician and they weren't pushy. They could give me an idea as to how affected her vision was by them which was useful and just knowing that her eye health was good apart from the cataracts was reassuring.

Afterwards I was really pleased she'd been checked, it turned out to be a lot more worthwhile than I thought it would be.
 

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