Developing Cataracts

[rodan]

I'm 55 and was diagnosed with glaucoma almost five years ago. My IOP is kept at about 18 in each eye with medication. For the past two years my myopia is steadily increasing. I wear -10.00 D in one eye and -7.00 in the other, and this gets me about 20/40 vision. Recently, my doctor told me the reason for my increasing myopia was that I am developing cataracts.  I thought glaucoma was causing my increasing myopia, he says glaucoma does not cause high myopia, but, that I am developing cataracts. I asked him if he could remove them, he said not until the cataract becomes more fully developed.
When, and, if he does cataract surgery on me, will he put artificial lenses in my eye that can correct most of this myopia?  Is it more risky doing cataract surgery on a patient with glaucoma?

[rodan]

When I get the cataracts removed, will my doctor put a replacement lense in that will correct most of my myopiia?

[Michael J Kutryb, MD]

Glaucoma does not cause myopia but a developing cataract often causes increasing levels of myopia.  Your glaucoma seems fairly mild so you should have no problem with cataract surgery.  People with glaucoma have cataract surgery all the time.  I did 2 patients much like you today.  Now if glaucoma is severe and uncontolled on 2 or 3 meds, them sometimes a glaucoma filtering surgrey is combined with the cataract surgery - but that is not your case.

MJK MD