Combined glaucoma and cataract surgery is indicated in any person with a significant visual disability from both cataract and glaucoma and is beneficial in limiting the progressive loss of vision due to glaucoma.
The procedure also reduces the need for medications to reduce eye pressures, a significant risk factor in glaucoma.
However, the indications for combined glaucoma and cataract surgery could be diverse and complex and one needs to discuss with an ophthalmologist experienced in the management of both cataract and glaucoma and the decision can be highly individualized.
Apart from age, the level of eye pressures, number of medications used for the treatment of glaucoma, systemic health of the concerned individual, the extent of damage caused by glaucoma are some of the issues that need to be factored in. An informed decision making in consultation with your eye doctor is necessary.
It is possible that both declining vision and headache are unrelated symptoms, but he needs to see an eye doctor immediately. It is possible he may have early cataracts or other potentially blinding diseases like glaucoma, age-related retinal degeneration or other degenerative conditions causing permanent loss of vision.
Most eye diseases, if detected early on have excellent treatment options to prevent progressive vision loss. Rarely, some forms of glaucoma, ocular inflammation, sinusitis affecting the eye may have vision loss associated with headache. Sometimes, it may only be a simple refractive error requiring spectacle correction that may reverse his symptoms.
Counseling your father to undergo simple eye tests by a qualified eye doctor is crucial. He can be reassured that a two-hour wait and simple eye examination will save him his sight, forever.
0 Comments