Not Greedy, Just Wants Second Eye Surgery
Would you like to know the most impossible patients for an eye surgeon to manage? It's not whom you might expect:
- Not a screaming, cross-eye child
- Not a 'high maintenance' plastics patient
- Certainly not the bogus disability applicant
The most challenging individual is a satisfied postop cataract surgery patient after having the FIRST eye treated.
They had no idea they could see that well again. To them it's miraculous. A day earlier they couldn't drive, couldn't read comfortably. Can you see what's coming?
"Doctor, when can I have my other eye done?"
There are no absolute rules, but the first eye ought to completely heal before tackling the second eye. This means no inflammation, full visual recovery and good eye comfort.
The patient's vision on Day 1 postop doesn't mean much to a surgeon. It's the vision on Day 42 (six weeks down the road) where valid, long-term results are assessed.
Long ago there were some surgeons who operated on both eyes during the same procedure. It only took one infection (wiping out vision in both eyes) to get most ophthalmologists to reconsider that approach!
Three months is a safe timetable for the second operation, but satisfied patients are not always patient patients. Now that they have experienced the clear, bright and colorful new world after cataract surgery they are eager to fix the fellow eye.
Truthfully, it's a wonderful dilemna to be confronted with happy patients who want to have more surgery. Even so, there's no guarantee that the second operation will achieve the same results. It's smart to approach each procedure independently, reviewing the justification for surgery, recalculating the precise focusing power of the intraocular lens, and carefully reassessing the preop eye for the patient heading back for a second cataract procedure.
If your local eye surgeon makes you wait before proceeding with a repeat operation on the fellow eye don't be discouraged. Your ophthalmologist wants you to have every chance for another excellent outcome. Who could argue with that?
Related Topics: Cataract Prevention, Eyes and Age
Technorati Tags: cataracts, vision, eyes
7 Comments:
Hi There,
My mom was just diagnosed with Bell's Palsy and can't close her right eye at all, so this poses a significant problem at night. She was told by her doctor to tape it shut, but has had no luck in her attempts to do this. She is concerned that her eye will not heal properly and needs some advise about keeping it hydrated if she is unable to tape it at night (she has currently been wearing an eye patch at night over her right eye).
Thanks in advance for any suggestions or recommendations.
I was putting eye drops every hour on the hour and when i go in the shower don't let water in the eye
and i was taking steroids for about one month......
Hi,I'm a 37 yrs old female and I have had 5 bells palsy attacks. My first was when I was 3 months along with my first & only child at age 23. I've had 4 attacks on the left side & 1 on the right side of my face. I had to tape my eye shut at night with each attack. I had to place the paper tape way up on my forhead, near the hair line, and pull the tape down across the eye and down to the middle of the check. My doctor gave me an ointment to put in my eye because the drops did not help. The ointment made everthing blurry but it was soothing to the dry eye.
Just wondering about the person with 5 bells palsy attacks, how long did the attacks last? Did they go away on their own? My daughter had lasik on her right eye about 2 months ago and has had dry eye ever since and can not close her eye, they just told her they think she has a slight case of bells palsy.Her facial muscles are very sore as well.
I was just diagnosed with bell's palsey yesterday, although i knew on xmas day that it had started. i had 1 other episode about 15 yrs. ago. the doctor wants me to tape my eye shut also. i asked if i should use duct tape. it's not an easy thing to do. i'm open to any suggestions.
I too was just diagnosed with Bells Palsy. It has been only 3 days and it's making me crazy. I am using an ointment at night and taping the eye closed with paper tape. Similar to another above, I start the tape at the forehead and come right across the closed eye onto my cheek. Then I use an eye patch to sleep.
I'm a 38 year old female, and was diagnosed with Bell's Palsy 7/5/07. I have about 90% of my muscle strength back. I used surgical tape for my eye, along with the ointment mentioned earlier. This can be purchased over the counter, and your mom may find it helpful to contact an optometrist. They can recommend an eye laquer, and eye drops, which I used during the day. Please let your mom know, she will get better, it may not seem like it now, but she will start to see results in about 2 weeks, and then more over time.
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