should I remove a cateract after 50 years (congenital)?

Question

I have had a cateract since I can remember,even when I was a kid tTSO mis-diagnosed it as lazy eye ,so a few years I wore glasses and a patch 30 minutes a day ,but when I first got my drivers license I had to get an eye test which proved to be a cateract.Doc asked my didn't I take care of this when I was young.Well i was used to seeing with ine eye .the right has 20-20 Should i get it removed so I can see with both?some say my brain wouldn't be able to adjust the change,I think I can.

Answer 1

You probably should talk with a doctor experienced in eye conditions. If the cateract was there from birth and the eye has never seen anything (or very little) the nerve pathways may have never developed sufficiently to give any usefull sight after treatment. Most of the other people answering are treating it as if it was a cateract that developed later in life in an eye that had been functioning; in which case, the procedure usually works.

Answer 2

Congenital cataracts is the most frequent cause of deprivation amblyopia..which is amblyopia (lazy eye) secondary to the occurrence of a constant physical obstruction along the line of sight that prevents the formation of a well focused high contrast image on the retina. Deprivation amblyopia has the most potential of all the types of amblyopia to cause severe visual loss. The degree to which amblyopia develops depends on the time of onset and the extent of the physical obstruction (in ur case the cataract). Short periods of deprivation at an early age can have a profound effect. If present in the first 3 months of life, it frequently leads to severe and sometimes permenant reduction in visual acuity. The prognosis for improvement is less favorable in cases w/ complete obstruction compared w/ cases w/ only partial obstruction. U develop the lazy eye because a decreased optical quality of the image is received by the fovea of the cataractous eye (form vision deprivation) and competition (abnormal binocular interaction) occurs b/w the blurred diffused image and the focused image received by the noncatractous eye. U can remove the cataract, but in all reality, the visual pathway of that eye might not have really developed. There's a test (called interferometry) that could be done to determine the prognosis of vision after cataract removal. This test usually overestimates the potential visual acuity. For example the test might say u would have 20/20 vision after the surgery but the actual outcome of the surgery would be 20/30 or worse. All this has to be confirmed by an ophthalmologist. He/she could run the proper tests to give u the proper diagnosis and prognosis of ur condition.

Answer 3

I did a science fair project on the human eye and won in the regional contest first place in 7th grade. I also studied cateract wich was part of my project. Tons of people have cateract. I'm gonna leave this to you. Would you rather see perfectly with two eyes? Or see perfectly with one eye. Ask your doctor if your brain would adjust the change or not because i don't think that is true. I think it would adjust. But if your brain won't adjust and you see perfectly alone with one eye, then i suggest you stay the same you are because the brain is very important in life. I don't mean to be rude or anything but how old are you because i remember it said in my project last year something about the age. Email me back at [e-mail] of what you think

Answer 4

If you have some semblance of vision from that eye, the nerve pathways are there. You should benefit from having that eye be in clear vision.

I have known several elders who had the procedure done and they thought it was a breeze.

Get a consult with an ophthalmologist and find out if you are a candidate for the surgery.

Answer 5

It would probably be the best thing you could do for yourself. The surgery is quick,painless and the patch is removed the next day.The vision is remarkable after that,everything is so clear.You would have to wear sun glasses when outside ,especially for a while as so much light gets to the back of your eye without that foggy film you are used to. Trust me your brain will be able to handle it. Good Luck

Answer 6

I would definately get it removed, your brain will get use to it. Why live the next 50 years with it? If you have the chance to improve the quality of your life then go for it. You already went through the hassle of glasses and a patch to improve your eyes, why not take the next step of being able to see clearer. You deserve it.

Answer 7

My mom (55) just had a cataract op after having cataracts for almost twelve years. She felt her eyesight was fine until after the op when she realised that she had infact not been seeing at all well. Everything had been unclear with a yellowish tinge.

Vision from only one eye is not perfect vision. I had a teacher who only saw through one eye and she couldn't draw a circle. people have two eyes for a reason. If it can be fixed, I say fix it.

Answer 8

nfldrod is absolutely correct. most of the other people attempting to answer this question apparently dont know the difference between "congenital" and "acquired" conditions.

if the cataracts is congenital (which it sounds like it is), it is highly, highly unlikely for you to have good vision if you removed the cataract, b/c of deprivation amblyopia. probably "DEEP" deprivation amblyopia. the cataract prevented retinal/visual development, and removing the cataract will not remove the lack of development.

Answer 9

Your brain would probably adjust perfectly fine. I am very close to blind due to how nearsighted I am and I can adjust from 20-20 with glasses to near blindness just fine.

Answer 10

If the cataract is what they called ripened, and you are physically able to undergo surgery, I say go for it. Your consultation with the eye surgeon should be able to answer your questions in more detail.