Dear Alison,
I have PD and also had an intra-ocular lens replacement for
a cataract several years ago. These days the operation is a
triumph of medical intervention. The surgery involves a very
small incision (about a millimetre) and the lens is removed
with ultrasonication to break up the lens which is then
removed from the lens capsule by suction. The coiled up
artificial lens is then inserted and it springs into place
in the lens capsule. A few days later the bandage is removed
from the eye and that's it. The added bonus in my case was
that I was very myopic (short-sighted) before the lens
replacement - my opthalmic surgeon calculated the power of
the replacement lens to account for my short-sightedness so
that I could see clearly at a distance. It worked out
perfectly and for the first time I could see clearly at a
distance without glasses or a contacts lens. Although there
are artificial lenses undergoing evaluation that can act
like a normal lens for focussing, my lens has a set focal
distance at infinity, so I need glasses for very close work.
In my case this is not a big deal because my other eye is
very good at close work - so I figure I have the best of
both worlds !
One strange thing happened after I removed the bandage from my operated
eye - because the lens with the cataract was foggy and very yellowed,
colors looked strange for a while - but after a week I adapted to it and
colors lookeed normal through the operated eye and a bit yellowed through
the unoperated eye.
Cataract operations have come a long way since the lens used to be
completely removed and very thick glasses had to be worn. Just make sure
you chose an opthalmic surgeon who does a lot of these operations and has
a good record of success.
It's a pity there isn't something as miraculous for PD !
All the Best,
Bruce
> Dear List Members and Ray,
>
> I seem to recall Ray writing something about cataract surgery. If so,
> would
> you have any suggestions that I might pass on to my sister, Fran. She
> has
> Parkinson's; diagnosed in 1998 at age 44. She needs to have cataract
> surgery
> on both eyes and the doctor has told her she is almost legally blind in
> one
> eye.
>
> Our cousin is a retina surgeon here in Florida and he has given us the
> names
> of 2 doctors that he respects as being competent in their field.
> However,
> with the Parkinson's, if anyone has any suggestions regarding the
> procedure
> and aftercare, we'd appreciate hearing from you.
>
> Alison Landes
>
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