Eye ops going wrong

[Khandro]

A friend had a lens replacement in the UK (Bristol) last year and was told prior to it, that the chances of it going wrong were "A thousand to one. Well, it went wrong, and he is now blind in one eye. Another friend in Germany (Tübingen) has just had one which has not worked, has no vision in that eye, and has been told that it is "Very unusual" and they are going to have a second go at it. Among my friends and acquaintances, I know probably around ten who have had these operations, which means statistically 20% are failures, this cannot be an accurate figure surely, but it is alarming. Does any one else know of similar cases?

[EDDIE51]

Almost certainly co-incidence that 2 you know of went wrong.
You need to find out about a lot more ops before you can get a meaningfull result.

[islasmum]

Do you mean cataracts, or are lens replacement different?

[pastafreak]

My brother has had lens transplants in both eyes-twice,and about 20-25 years apart....never had any problems.

[Khandro]

islasmum, I think the cataract is the ailment, and lens replacement is the cure.

[gingejbee]

No. The lens is not replaced in a cataract op.

[Khandro]

^Thanks

[EDDIE51]

A family friend has had both eyes done and it was 100% success , he is very pleased, sight now almost perfect.

[Old_Geezer]

In a cataract operation the natural lens is removed and replaced by an , an artificial intraocular lens. Sounds like a lens replacement to me.

[pastafreak]

A corneal transplant is usually to replace a damaged or diseased cornea,or cases where contact lenses do not correct vision sufficiently.

http://www.opt.indian...oconus_transplant.htm

[craft_Tel]

gingejbee - the lens IS replaced in a cataract op (I had my left eye done in July last year, and the right eye will need doing when it gets bad enough). The op was very minor, but as with all ops there is always a risk that something could go wrong. When I went for the check up about 7 weeks after the op; at least two of the other patients in the waiting room had to resume putting drops in their eye as they had infections. I was OK, so either I did the post-op eye drops correctly and they didn't, or they were just unlucky or more susceptible to infection.

[gingejbee]

craft: obviously things differ depending on several factors. In my father's case (two eyes done) neither lens was removed. I understand that ultrasound was involved.

[Sqad]

Cataract removal involves removing the "lens" with another artificial lens.....the results are good.

Removing an artificial lens with another artificial lens increases the risk of blindness considerably.

There is no such thing as a "simple operation"

[Sqad]

\\\\the "lens" with another artificial lens..\\\

should have read...." and replacing with an artificial lens"

[Old_Geezer]

Supplimentary question, why are the replacement lens not soft so the eye can auto focus once more as the patient used to be able to when younger ? Is it really that difficult to find a suitable material ?

[Sqad]

O_G....I am not an expert on intra ocular lenses, but as far as i know, modern IOLs are completely flexible........ whether soft as well, you will have to ask the experts.

[Old_Geezer]

Ah. Thanks. It's just that I know of friends/family who had the op and it appeared they ended up with the fixed length focus, so presumably the usual way the eye focus on different distances before the lens stiffens up, was still not possible: which I assumed meant it was a hard lens.

[Sqad]

O_G....don't quote me, but i think one can get multifocal intra ocular lenses.

[Khandro]

My wife had it done 2 years ago in Germany - both successful, though she often complains that she feels as if she has "grit" in one of her eyes - She was asked before the operation if she wanted to be short sighted or long sighted, she chose the former and can read without specs, but needs them for driving etc.

[craft_Tel]

Reading the answers from my previous response, I obviously didn't explain accurately. A cataract makes the lens go cloudy, and the lens has to be 'removed' (if it is not done, it would eventually be like trying to see through frosted glass). This is usually done by ultra-sound - it's called phacoemulsification, and an IOL is inserted. These are small (about 1/8th inch) and flexible (I was told they fold it in half to insert it through the small hole created when sucking out the remains of the natural lens).
I called the op 'minor' as the whole thing from when I walked into the hospital until I left to go home only took about 3 hours, during which I was awake the whole time, most of which was spent waiting for the anaethestic drops to become effective. The op itself took 20 minutes.
The lens inserted also adjusts my vision so I would not need glasses except I also have astigmatism which requires adjustment. I do need reading glasses, and was told that would be the case when I was assessed for the op.
A friend at my golf club had both eyes done within 3 weeks and he is astounded at how well he can see. Another friend's wife had both of hers done privately and again is very happy with the results.

[Canary42]

The moral seems to be :- Don't get it done in Bristol or Tübingen !