cataract advice

tidus

Can your Mum lie on her back for a short period? Cataract surgery is performed with the patient on their back but usually only takes 15-20mins, so provided your Mum can lie on her back for that long she should be OK. She'll be provided with pain relief or even switched the general anesthetic if necessary. As I understand it its only people who cannot lie on their backs for even a short period that present difficulties to the surgeons. I woul advise her to talk to her GP about it.

Also, to clarify a previous post, cataracts cannot return after surgery. The lady in question probably has posterior lens opacification, which is common occurance within the first year after surgery. It means that the rear surface of the implant has become cloudy. Normally this is cleared with a lazer and is a minor proceedure. Unfortunately this is sometimes refered to a "secondary" cataract which causes confusion.

Hope this helps.

Tidus (an optometrist)

lindos90

Wow, thank you very much everyone, some really great advice, I will be passing this onto my mum (in large print;) )!!!

So all we need is a referral from the GP, then when she gets the 'choose and book' info we can ring and check which place has a 'dentist chair' type option, and she will be sorted!!!!

I think some older people are too trusting of 'proffesionals' sometimes....if someone jumps the queue at the co-op, my mum gives them hell, but when a young* optician tells her if she cant lay down then she cant have the op, she doesnt question it!!! (mums eh:rotfl: )

Thanks again MSers, you are so supportive and encouraging, im sure your responses have made a big difference to my mums life and eyesight!:beer:

*Out of interest, her optician is a branch of specsavers, she gave me the impression he was young, but as she is 72, then i guess someone coming up for retirement could look 'young' especially as her eyesight isnt great! It does sound like the optician is out of touch with techniques though, definately.

lindos90

tidus wrote: »

Can your Mum lie on her back for a short period? Cataract surgery is performed with the patient on their back but usually only takes 15-20mins, so provided your Mum can lie on her back for that long she should be OK. She'll be provided with pain relief or even switched the general anesthetic if necessary. As I understand it its only people who cannot lie on their backs for even a short period that present difficulties to the surgeons. I woul advise her to talk to her GP about it.


Tidus (an optometrist)

thats the problem Tidus, she cant lay on her back in bed, she cant get in that position herself, and as her spine is 'crumbling' with Osteoperosos, so she is terrified of another piece of bone dislodging and damaging her spinal cord (this has happened with a 'small' piece already in one area, hence the morphine patches)

tidus

lindos90 wrote: »

thats the problem Tidus, she cant lay on her back in bed, she cant get in that position herself, and as her spine is 'crumbling' with Osteoperosos, so she is terrified of another piece of bone dislodging and damaging her spinal cord (this has happened with a 'small' piece already in one area, hence the morphine patches)

Fair enough. There has to be another way, presumably semi prone with the head tilted back. As has been previously stated this can't really be an uncommon situation, so I doubt it makes the surgery impossible. In my opinion your mother should have been refered anyway - its not really up to the optometrist to say for definite who is suitable and who is not on the grounds of other health problems, we're not doctors.

As it stands, just tell her to see her GP, he/she can refer to the hospital without recommdation from the opticians. Hope she gets on OK.

Errata

lindos90 wrote: »

Wow, thank you very much everyone, some really great advice, I will be passing this onto my mum (in large print;) )!!!

So all we need is a referral from the GP, then when she gets the 'choose and book' info we can ring and check which place has a 'dentist chair' type option, and she will be sorted!!!!

No, get her to the GP and ask the GP to refer her to whichever unit has the equipment which will cope with her 'special needs'. It will be much better for the GP to decide than for you to track down the information so a choice can be made. Mistakes happen when non medical staff talk to medical staff. Hope you understand what I'm getting at an HTH

nedmundo

I know a consultant in Norwich, who specialises in performing cataract surgery on people with awkward postural issues - he can even do it standing up!. Perhaps there's someone in you area who could do the same.

lindos90

nedmundo wrote: »

I know a consultant in Norwich, who specialises in performing cataract surgery on people with awkward postural issues - he can even do it standing up!. Perhaps there's someone in you area who could do the same.

Thanks nedmundo, well if he can do it standing up in Norwich, im hoping someone in Notts/derby can do it reclining!!!

Horace

lindos90 wrote: »

Hope someone can help.

My mum is 72 and has cataracts developing, she also has osteoperosis and has been told that the bones in her back are 'crumbling', and although she is mobile and independent (walks fair distances, does not use a stick, gets on buses etc) she has a very painful back (using morphine patches!), and has been unable to sleep on her back for years.

The optician has told her that her cateracts are now bad enough to speak to her GP about surgery, however
after further questions the optician said my mum would have to sign a form stating she could lay on her back on an operating table for at least 30 minutes before surgery, so told her not to bother telling her GP as she would not be able to have the surgery anyway.

Can anyone tell me if this is true?

I would have thought that the majority of people needing cateract ops are elderly and therefore likely to have other medical problems like arthritis etc, who may have problems getting on/off examination tables, or those with breathing problems who are unable to lay completely flat on their back??

As an alternative im woundering how expensive going private would be? and if they have better equipment?

She does have a reclining chair at home, which she uses, and im sure she could tollerate a 'dentist type chair' to recline her back, (if this is something that can be used).

Any suggestions, im just so worried about her, she has had lots of medical problems in her life, and has remained fiesty and independent throughout, but im afraid that the opticians advice that she will have to live with her cateracts as she is not 'able enough' will be the last straw for her.

The equipment will be the same whether or not you go private or NHS. The best person to speak to about the cataracts is a specialist eye consultant who will be at your local hospital or specialist eye hospital. I am sure that they would be able to accommodate a person with osteoporosis etc.

The optician deserves a kick up the bum for saying that she can't have the operation - who is he to decide? As said before your mum is best off speaking to a specialist who will be able to advise her. Normally a person would have to lie on a bed for approx 30 minutes but I also feel sure that they can make alternative arrangements for an old person. I feel sad that your mum possibly feels that she cannot have her cataracts done - she has enough of a right to have sight as the rest of us.

Good luck

sillyvixen

the cataract op would improve your mums quality of life so much.. go with her and speak to her gp - explain her problems and ask for a referal to the hospital - once she has been seen in clinic they can discuss the options of how the op can be performed considering your mums spinal problems. once she gets proper advise how her other needs can be accomadated she will be in a position to make an informed disision to proceed or not.

lindos90

Hi all,
just to let you know that thanks to all your advice (I printed it out in large print and let my mum look for herself) she has decided not to be put off by the optician and has booked an appointment to see her GP!!

She asked me to say thank you to everyone who gave an opinion, and that you are a nice bunch of people to go to the trouble to write and help someone you dont even know!