Surgical Risks of Cataract Surgery in Michigan
You or one of your family members might have developed cataracts and you may be wondering if the decision to go for cataract surgery is the right one. The first thing that you should know is cataract surgeries are one of the safest and most effective eye surgeries.
Effectiveness of cataract surgery
If the person having cataracts does not have any other eye conditions like retinal problems or glaucoma, the chances of having excellent vision after surgery are very high. It should be kept in mind that you might still need reading glasses. Even though the primary purpose of cataract surgery is not to get rid of your glasses or lenses, it does reduce the need for them. The surgery can improve problems like farsightedness, nearsightedness and astigmatism.
Risks associated with cataract surgery
Complications are not very common in cataract surgery in Michigan and less than 5% of the people who have cataract surgery actually experience any serious complications. The risk of blindness is extremely low.
The potential complications you might encounter are:
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Swollen retina, which can be treated with eyedrops in almost all cases, and resolves within weeks to months
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Different/new astigmatism, which does not affect the eyesight and can be treated with corrective lenses, or with additional surgery.
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Endophthalmitis or infection of the eye tissues, which can lead to blindness but only occurs in 1 out of every 1000 cases.
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Problems caused by bits of cataract that might still be present in the eye after surgery. If this is the case, your cataract surgeon in Shelby Township additional surgery may be needed if inflammation persists..
The most common problem post cataract surgery is the capsule of the eye getting clouded. The cloudiness can happen over a period of several months or years. This problem affects 8-20% of the people who have this surgery within 5 years. If this happens, the physician will usually perform a surgery called posterior capsulotomy to correct it. This is a simple in-office laser procedure, and is permanent.
Risks associated with untreated cataracts
If left untreated, cataracts can progressively grow and worsen the vision. Your ability to go about your activities of daily living is greatly hampered and can lead to accidents, injuries and falls. You risk of developing surgical complications with advanced cataracts is also higher.
The decision to go for cataract surgery
You can defer the surgery for a little while as this is an eye condition that progresses slowly. If you experience problems with night vision or doing your daily activities, you must go for this safe surgery saving yourself from vision-related mishaps or complications.
