Q1: Is there no other treatment for cataract animals except surgery?
The answer is yes.
In the treatment of cataract, surgery is the best way to cure cataract with the least complications.
Medical treatment cannot reverse the development of cataracts, but can only delay the development of cataracts. At the same time, they have to bear the risk of cataract complications. Often pet owners spend a lot of time and energy with little success.
On the other hand, if the cataract also suffers from other eye diseases, or the animal cannot accept surgical anesthesia due to the physical reasons of the animal, medical treatment will be considered to delay the disease.
Q2: How should pet owners choose the timing of cataract surgery?
The answer is the sooner the better.
Cataracts can occur in one eye, and it is common for both eyes to develop simultaneously.
If unilateral eye develops first, you can temporarily rely on the other healthy eye to see objects, but the judgment of distance and speed of moving objects will not be as good as the previous state of healthy eyes.
Cataracts may also occur in healthy eyes, resulting in blindness in both eyes.
In addition, cataracts can cause many serious complications, such as glaucoma, retinal detachment, panophthalmia, and more.
Therefore, it is suggested that the owner should check and diagnose the cataract as soon as possible and take effective treatment measures when the pet has cataract, so as not to delay the disease and miss the best opportunity for surgery.
Q3: Do I need to wait until the cataract is fully mature before surgery?
The answer is no.
In the past, cataract surgery required a large incision of nearly 180° in the cornea to directly remove the diseased lens, so it was necessary to wait until the cataract was completely degenerated and hardened before surgery.
The popular “phacoemulsification surgery” has become the mainstream treatment method for cataracts.
Only a small incision of 3mm is needed to complete the extraction of the lens nucleus and the implantation at the same time. Artificial crystals.
This technology does not need to wait until the cataract is fully mature before surgery. The earlier the surgery, the better, and the incision is smaller, which greatly reduces the risk of infection.
It is very beneficial to the animal body. The injury is also minimal, the recovery time is shortened, and the success rate of the operation is greatly improved.
Q4: Are there any risks of complications after surgery?
The answer is yes.
Any surgery has risks, and there is a relatively small chance of complications after cataract surgery, such as glaucoma, retinal detachment, corneal endothelial damage, intraocular inflammation, etc.
But without surgery, these complications are more common and can cause severe eye pain and distress for pets.
Cataract surgery is no longer a rare surgery in the field of veterinary medicine.
Many ophthalmology hospitals have been able to use this technology maturely and have achieved quite a wide range of applications As well as a higher success rate, this means that more cats and dogs with cataracts have a much higher chance of regaining sight.
