1. The cataract is not the problem, the problem is the diabetic retinoapthy. No one can give you "odds" on the surgery.
2. The blacked out of his vision are problem where the bleeding is. The blood is in the retina.
Go to Google IMAGES and type in the term proliferative diabetic retinopathy. Look at the pictures it will help you understand the mess diabetes does not the back of the eye.
3. Diabetic retinopathy is a function of how long a person has the diabetes, after 15-20 years everyone has some, also the diabetic control, where ther person smokes, has high blood pressure, high cholesterol, how obese they are, whether they exercise and luck.
You will need to get "risks" from the surgeon that has actually seen your dad's problem. He has big problems and even with proper treatment the risks are high but much higher to do nothing.
JCH III MD
Thanks for your prompt reply.
I have a few more questions
1) can a cataract surgery on the right eye in such cases lead to total blindness in the right eye?
What is the percentage chances of him losing complete vision in the right eye following the cataract
surgery?
2) it is generally said if there is bleeding the person sees some black dots or dark areas but incase
of my fathers right good eye, he can see everything without the black dots or dark areas but he cannot read small letter like letters in newspaper & magazines, he sees everything blurred (not part of the picture or sides blurred but the entire blurred vision), does this in some way prove that the bleeding is not too much or the retinopathy is not reached the last stage (proliferative or advanced proliferative) & blurred vision is mainly due to the thick cataract.
3) What can be the exact cause of sudden loss of vision in the left eye? can it be due to heavy bleeding or due to damage done to the retina due to heavy bleeding? the doctor told me that if diabetes is kept under good control then there is a good chance that the blood will dry up & he might gain back his lost vision in the left eye, what do you think is the chance of the blood drying & he gaining is vision back in the left eye.
if the blood will not dry up by itself then the doctor said he will have to perform vitrectomy surgery &
retina detachment surgery incase if the retina is damaged? what is the sucess rate if both the above surgery needs to be performed in such a case & do you think the retina will have been damaged
as the doctor has said there is severe bleeding in the left eye.
if the blood does not dry up & if vitrectomy surgery is delayed will it cause further damage to the retina?
thanks
1. Concentrate on saving what's left of the right eye. It is better to do laser first then cataract surgery but the cataract can prevent laser being done first. Such is your father's case. Do the cataract first. You father is at risk of blindness no matter what's done to him. It's a shame that he let himself get in such an advanced state. Diabetics should have their eyes checked yearly by an Eye MD to prevent advanced disease.
2. The bleeding is much more likely going to be due to diabetes than cataract eye surgery. If nothing is done the likelihood is that the right eye will experience a severe problem like the left.
3. Yes and Yes
4. At his stage its a moot point. This is more of an issue in very small cataract and very early diabetic eye disease.
5. Waiting will not increase the risk since he's been evaluated. The prognosis for the left eye is very guarded.
JCH III MD