What is Eye Surgery?
Eye surgeries, medically known as Ocular surgeries, are various surgeries that they performed on the eye and its adnexa. Eye surgeries are performed by Ophthalmologists.
Common Eye Diseases That Require Surgery:
• Cataract: It is a condition where the lens becomes cloudy.
• Glaucoma: A group of conditions that damage the optic nerve and lead to blindness.
• Retinal Detachments: Sometimes, the retina may pull away from its supportive tissue, causing a detachment.
Diabetic Retinopathy: Diabetic Retinopathy refers to diseases that develop in the eyes due to diabetes.
Common Eye Surgeries:
• Cataract Surgery: A Cataract develops in the eye when a part of the lens becomes cloudy. This causes difficulty in seeing things clearly. In Cataract Surgery, the surgeon removes the cloudy part and substitutes it with an artificial lens.
• Glaucoma Surgery (Trabeculectomy): When extra fluid accumulates in parts of the eyes, Trabeculectomy is performed. The surgeon makes a small opening under the eyelid, causing the extra fluid to drain out.
• Glaucoma Implants: In some cases of Glaucoma, a small tube called a shunt is surgically inserted in the eye's white area. This helps the extra fluid to drain out and lessen the pressure on the eye.
• Corneal Transplant: When parts of the cornea are damaged, they are surgically replaced. The surgeon removes the damaged part and replaces it with healthy donor tissues. Two common corneal transplant procedures are penetrating keratoplasty (for the full-thickness corneal transplant) and lamellar keratoplasty (for the partial-thickness corneal transplant).
• LASIK (Laser in-situ keratomileusis): This laser surgery is performed when adults face issues like near-sightedness, farsightedness, or astigmatism. The surgeon uses laser light to change the shape of the cornea. This helps in attaining a clearer vision.
• PRK (Photorefractive Keratectomy): PRK is essentially an alternative to LASIK. It is performed on individuals who have thin corneas or dry eyes.
• Pneumatic Retinopexy: This is a minimally invasive procedure that doesn’t involve any incisions. Pneumatic retinopexy is done to treat detachments in the retina. The procedure involves injecting gas and applying retinal cryotherapy or laser photocoagulation to seal the retinal breaks.
• Vitrectomy: Vitrectomy surgery is performed to treat issues occurring in the retina and the vitreous. This includes treating scar tissue causing poor vision in the retina, repairing a pulled retina, etc. Vitrectomy is also the surgical treatment for Diabetic Retinopathy.
How to prepare before surgery?
- To start, keep in mind that the days and weeks prior to surgery should be spent without contact lenses.
- Don't forget to wash your face completely and take off all makeup before bed. Applying face creams or makeup to your skin the night before surgery is not advised.
- If you feel that the treatment will make you anxious, you can eat before it, but you might want to cut back a little on the coffee.
- Additionally, you will require a driver to accompany you so that you may return home. Find a trustworthy friend or family member who can assist you on the day of the surgery, since you won't be permitted to drive yourself home following the procedure.
What to expect during surgery?
Usually, the patient will receive some sort of sedative from the eye doctor. The patient's eye is numbed with eye drops containing a local anesthetic. The problematic intraocular lens will be removed by the surgeon, who will then replace it with a new intraocular lens through a very small incision.
You will be kept awake during a supervised sedation procedure, but you won't be able to observe the surgeon at work. The operated-on eye will be anesthetized and so effectively unconscious. We'll cover the other eye.
A topical anesthetic may cause you to perceive shadows, colors, and lights. Medications may help in maintaining your calm.
Conclusion:
The benefits of eye care are numerous. These include early disease diagnosis, reduced risk of injury, reduced ocular consequences, and diagnosis of underlying disorders. Routine eye exams, using the appropriate eyewear, and following hygienic instructions for handling and wearing contact lenses are all methods to take good care of your eyes.
