Suffering from cataracts or glaucoma can be part of the natural aging process. Thus, many people over the age of 60 may suffer from both diseases. Although they are not related pathologies, they are serious and can lead to vision loss. In the case of cataracts, vision loss can be reversed with surgery. On the other hand, vision loss due to glaucoma is irreversible, although its progress can be halted if detected in time.
There is a higher percentage of people with glaucoma who are at greater risk of developing cataracts.
When is cataract surgery performed?
Cataract surgery is performed when the patient’s vision is reduced to the point where it interferes with daily activities, either due to a decrease in quantity or quality of vision. In most cases of cataract surgery, the opaque crystalline lens is removed and replaced with a clear lens, through the implantation of an intraocular lens (IOL).
Can cataract surgery and glaucoma surgery be performed at the same time?
During cataract surgery a change in eye pressure may occur. It is now accepted that the increased thickness of the lens as the cataract progresses can cause a reduction in the space in the anterior chamber of the eye, resulting in an increase in intraocular pressure.
When the lens is removed during cataract surgery, a new space develops that allows intraocular pressure to normalize in 60% of cases. Thus, glaucoma surgery is not necessary.
Ophthalmology specialists advise that patients suffering from cataracts and glaucoma should first undergo cataract surgery in order to study, later on, a new change in intraocular pressure. If this is reduced, the patient will be spared the glaucoma operation, which carries a higher risk index than the first one.
What exactly does cataract surgery consist of?
Cataract surgery is also called lens extraction. It can be performed using the ultrasonic laser phacoemulsification technique. The intraocular lens is implanted on the eye’s own surface, the posterior capsule. In some patients this capsule may become opaque, decreasing the quality of vision. Therefore, a laser procedure, called capsulotomy, can be performed, which removes the capsule and restores the quality of vision without cutting the eye.
Patients with any of these pathologies should contact their ophthalmologist for information on possible treatment options, such as medication, laser treatment or recommended surgery.