Cataracts

I was diagnosed with cataracts some 3 years ago and told the that they would be ready for treatment = operation after about 8 years. Is this normal and if so what variance between shorter and longer terms for cataracts to become operable?

Manythanks

[Michael J Kutryb, MD]

It all depends on the type of cataracts and how fast they progress and how they affect your vision.  Some cataracts develop very, very slowly over 10 years or more and others progress over a few months.  Some patients can have very dense cataracts and not be particularly bothered while others with very small posterior subcapsular cataracts can be very bothered especially by glare.  As a rule nuclear (old age) cataracts take many years to develop while cortical cataracts develop quicker and posterior subcapsular cataracts develop much more quickly, especially with patients taking steroids or diabetics.  Since there are no treatments to slow cataract progression, and only one treatment (surgery), we simply follow them and when they get bad enough to limit a patient's vision and cause problems with activities of daily living, then we consider cataract surgery.  It's just about that simple.  Every patient is different - some progress very slowly, some rather quickly. It just depends. There is no rule to go by.

Michael Kutryb,MD

[Billatwa]

Many thanks for your response to my query re cataracts. You answered my question perfectly. The question had stemmed from a friend who told me his eye specialist had said the quicker he had the operation the better, and, my GP who said that was not so but that it took several years for the cataracts to develop. My friend had the operation on both eyes and it has worked out very well for him. My cataracts are obviously different and I'll wait :-)
Thanks again.