- Understand what is Cataract
- How cataract treatment is done
- How is the surgery done
- Risks of surgery
- Stem cell cataract surgery
- Care after surgery
An eye drop that promises to cure cataracts is being developed in the United States. The eye drops contain a substance called lanosterol, which is related to the origin of the cataract and it appears that, when used, it is able to permanently eliminate the cataract, without the need for surgery.
This medicine acts mainly in the initial stages of the disease and in preventing its evolution, dissolving the spots at the beginning of the cataract, maintaining the original shape of the lens proteins and thus preventing the disease from getting worse.
However, this eye drop continues to be tested on animals and therefore, there is still no prediction of when it can be used in humans, as further studies are needed to confirm that it is effective and that it does not pose health risks.
Understand what is Cataract
Cataract is a disease that causes progressive loss of vision, and is linked to genetic factors or aging, and can be caused by diseases such as diabetes and hyperthyroidism.
Cataracts are curable and their treatment is done through surgery to remove the affected region of the eye. However, in the early stages, the loss of vision caused by cataracts can be mitigated with the use of eye drops that help improve vision, but these drugs do not cure the disease or prevent its progression.
To identify this disease early on, know what the cataract symptoms are.
How cataract treatment is done
While there are some medications that can help prevent cataracts from getting worse, they only work in the early stages of the problem. Thus, the treatment is done, in most cases, with surgery to replace the natural lens of the eye and cure the cataract.
How is the surgery done
Surgical treatment of cataracts is the only effective option to recover vision, being offered by SUS. During the surgery, the lens, which is the region of the eye affected by the cataract, is removed and an artificial lens is placed that will allow the vision to improve.
This surgery is used with local anesthesia, through injection or the use of anesthetic drops, and the patient does not feel pain. After surgery, the patient is under observation for about 2 to 4 hours and then can go home the same day, in the presence of a companion.
Normally, the day after surgery, there is already an improvement in vision, and full visual capacity is recovered after 30 days.
Risks of surgery
The risks of cataract surgery in adults are generally very low, making it one of the safest surgical procedures. However, in some cases, it is possible to develop serious complications such as displacement of the lens or opacity of the posterior capsule, which can make the vision worse than it was before the surgery, but which can be corrected again.
In the case of babies and children who are born with cataracts, surgery can bring more complications, especially vision problems that arise with development and that must be corrected with other treatments, such as wearing glasses or lenses, for example.
Stem cell cataract surgery
Since the complications of surgery are more common in children, a new surgery is being developed to definitively cure cases of congenital cataract without having to replace the natural lens of the eye with an artificial one.
This new technique consists of removing all the damaged lens from the eye, leaving only the stem cells that gave rise to the lens. The cells that remain in the eye are then stimulated and develop normally, allowing to create a new, completely natural and transparent lens, which returns vision in up to 3 months and is not at risk of causing complications over the years.
Care after surgery
After surgery, eye drops should be used daily according to the surgeon's recommendation, which will serve to prevent infections, improve inflammation and accelerate the healing process of the eye. See what types of antibiotic and anti-inflammatory eye drops can be used during the recovery process in Types of Eye Drops and what they are for.
The return for the doctor to reevaluate and the result of the surgery usually occurs after 1 to 4 weeks, and it is normal for the doctor to request more than one return visit to accompany the improvement of the eye.
