Cataract surgery complications, although it is a simple surgery. Involves structural changes in the eye that force the brain to process the sense of sight in a different way. Learn more about this re-adaptation process.
There is a simple surgical intervention that eliminates the problem and restores vision in affected people. However, this cataract surgery complications involves a series of complexities that are interesting to know.
Eye cataracts are a fairly common visual problem. In fact, according to various studies, more than 60% of the world population from 75 years old will develop some type of cataract. Therefore, cataracts are perceived as a threat as they mature.
In addition, the symptoms of this ocular pathology are part of popular knowledge. People who suffer from them suffer a progressive impairment of the functionality of their vision that can become disabling.
People suffering from this problem report glare, poor visual acuity, distortion of shapes. And a whole series of visual limitations that, if not treated surgically, can lead to blindness.
What is clinically understood as ocular cataract is nothing more than the pacification of the lens. The lens is the transparent lens inherent to the eye under which it can focus. Which is located behind the iris and the pupil.
When cataracts appear, this lens becomes progressively cloudy; due to an accumulation of epithelial cells that change color for pathological reasons.
These cells proliferate and impede the normal passage of light through the lens, given that, due to their translucent features and brown tone. They represent a physical barrier to this step. It is as if the world were observed through a fogged windshield. In this way, the vision is affected.
There is another clinical picture: secondary cataracts. These are a pathological ocular condition very similar to the previous one. It arises after the surgical removal of the cataract and is due to the remains of that darkened epithelium that have remained dormant. And have proliferated again, dulling the structures of the eye.
The resulting symptomatically is similar to the one that causes the primary cataract. But the ocular lesion is milder and less extensive. Thus, all that is required for its correction is the elimination of that layer of tissue by laser. It is a quick, painless and risk-free intervention.
As a consequence of the formation of the cataract, in a progressive manner -and more or less quickly depending on the type of cataract involved-, the affected person will experience the following visual discomforts:
Decreased visual acuity.
Photo phobia and glare.
Alteration of the chromatic perception – the colors lose intensity and melt.
Alteration of the perception of the surrounding space.
And, in general, any visual modification that may arise as a result of the light reflected by the objects cannot penetrate the eye or if it does so, in a darkened and distorted manner.
It is because of this progressive and disabling nature – since sight is possibly the most important of the senses – that symptoms can go unnoticed at the beginning or interpreted as symptoms of something else. Until the person presents a visual decrease such that it makes obvious that There is an underlying problem.
In addition, as a confounded, while the cataract is in the process of extension. The different degrees of dilation or contraction of the pupil may mask or exacerbate the symptoms.
Thus, if the pupil is very dilated, much of the light that enters the eye will “dodge” the cataract and the vision will be closer to normal. The light will be at the cataract in its path and the vision will be very impoverished.
Causes of ocular cataract
Of all the causes, the most widely accepted is the normal aging process of the body. In this sense, developing cataracts would be a logical consequence of reaching advanced ages. Although it is true that only susceptible people will develop them.
In addition to the above, and leaving aside those paintings of unknown or unaffiliated origin. Three other causes are posited as the possible origin of this psychopathy:
Long-term steroid-based drug treatments, especially corticosteroids -as occurs with chronic cortisone intake regimens in rheumatism or antiallergics in people with allergies.
Whatever the cause of this problem, the result impacts in such a way the daily performance of the person suffering from cataracts usually brings with it a whole constellation of psychological discomforts , among which stress anxiety and depression.
What is the cataract surgery complications?
Considered as a simple and safe surgery and given its ambulatory nature, this is a type of surgery that should not scare us. Hundreds of them are practiced every day around the world and the success rate is very high.
In summary, the intervention consists in the physical extraction of the cataract through instruments that are inserted in the anterior part of the eyeball.
The crystalline lens. It is necessary to totally or partially remove the lens. In this way, the eye remains aphakic or without its own focusing ability. Remember that it was the lens, our natural lens, that allowed such focus.
To replace this structural and functional lack, an intraocular lens (IOL) is implanted in the space previously occupied by the lens. Which allows the focusing of the images, with characteristics that complement those of the IOL of the contralateral eye.
This is because cataracts are almost always bilateral affections, that is, they occur in both eyes at the same time. To, as a whole, form light projections focused at the level of the retina, which will later give rise to visual representation, at the brain level.
Therefore, IOLs, being artificial lenses that also remain fixed and do not have the ability of the lens to modify its focus. And blur profoundly alter at various levels, how the visual system works .
And the person in charge of constituting a final perceptive image, which is none other than the brain. Must readjust to this new way of receiving the light that will be transformed into images. For this reason, it can take up to a month for the people involved to complete this readjustment. Meanwhile, his vision is more vague and uncomfortable than before.
It is thanks to the cerebral plasticity, to the capacity of our neural systems to reorganize and adapt and recover lost functionalities , that this process of readjustment culminates successfully and again enjoy a good visual capacity.
These are alterations that the brain will learn to correct to achieve a visual system as effective as possible.
Since IOLs only focus and cannot vary the degree of such focus, from the moment you have your eyes open you can see in a focused way at any distance, near or far; without having to force the eyesight, or allow a few thousandths of a second to pass before the gaze is out of focus and focuses on another.
Need more light to see properly
While when you suffer from cataract surgery complications you tend to avoid highly luminous spaces, since they dilate the pupil and cause visual discomfort; after cataract surgery, that is, the implantation of IOLs, the more enlightened the environment is, the better the focus and vision will be produced.
And this occurs mainly because the artificial lens does not cover the full diameter of the pupil when it is very dilated.
Need for physical orientation
Since the IOLs focus in a fixed and constant way, to adjust our vision to objects that are at a specific distance. And with a position relative to us, we will not have the ability to adapt the crystalline. But we will be ourselves who, moving and By placing the head at different angles. We find the point of greatest visual acuity for that particular object .
Generally, IOLs are more specialized in focusing medium and long distances and are less efficient for short ones. Therefore, it is not uncommon to need magnifying glasses after cataract surgery complications.
Tendency to eye irritation
The ocular or conjunctive epithelium, after having suffered ruptures due to surgical intervention. Develops microscopic scars that will increase the degree of sensitivity of the eye to environmental irritants, such as smoke, dust, etc.
Different visual convergence
Since IOLs are positioned somewhat differently from the original lenses, the exact point of the retina to which they project light is also different.
Presence of visual artifacts
Whether you have had cataracts. Or if you are suffering from them or even if there is the possibility of developing them at some point. These are some important points that, besides being interesting in themselves. It is useful to know to explain some of the results of the cataract surgery complications. And especially for the personal preparation prior to the intervention.
