In: Anatomy and Physiology
Georgina has recently gone to her primary care provider for her annual physical. As part of routine examination a vision exam is given. Georgina has always had perfect vision but is having some difficulty with this test today. Upon further questioning, the medical assistant learns that Georgina has been experiencing blurred vision for quite some time and often sees what she describes as rings when she is near bright light. On physical examination the provider also notices a cloudy appearance to Georgina’s corneas.
What condition is Georgina likely experiencing?
What treatment options are available for the diagnosis you chose?
What is Georgina’s prognosis for a full recovery given the different treatment options you discussed?
Georgina might be in a condition for cataract taking into considerations the signs and symptoms. Cataract can be explaines as the clouding of the lens of the eyes leading to blurred vision. Thr ring which appears when she is near bright light can be explained as halos.Cataract to an extent leads to visual impairment if not treated properly. The causes include age, trauma, radiation etc.
Treatment options for cataract depends on the type of cataract i.e whether it is partial, stationary, complete or progressive. Phacoemulsification is one of the most popular treatment options for cataract which makes use of ultrasonic energy for emulsification of the cataract lens. This is performed in six steps i.e anasthesia followed by incision of cornea, followed by creating a circular hole in the lens capsule, followed by phacoemulsification followed by irrigation, aspiration and lens insertion.
The other type of treatment includes Extracapsular Cataract Extraction. It is performed in cases of hard catacract where emulsification is not possible.It is done by manual removal of lens while leaving the capsule intact.
Intracapsular cataract extraction is rarely performed since it is associated with a high range of complications.
Prognosis includes that in all cases of surgery, an artificial lens is used to replace the original lens permanently. These lenses are used to correct distance or near vision. These are monofocal in nature. But when implanted with a multifocal lens, may increase chances of improper vision.The recovery might take place by 1 month provided post operative care is taken properly which includes prevention of the eye from dust, heat, radiation and using a shield over the operated eye.