Latest update December 25th, 2024 1:10 AM
Latest News
- Guyanese losing millions from Govt. and Opposition’s failure to to manage oil sector
- ‘Guyana’s Stabroek Block success is like a Michelin Star Restaurant’ – Exxon official
- Gaza appeals for help as Israeli army attacks key hospitals
- Face the Press, Mr. President!
- State makes application to revoke Brutus’ bail
The removal of cataract at GPHC
By Romila Boodram
GPHC’s Ophthalmologist, Dr. George Norton
The eye is an organ that detects light and sends signal along the optic nerve to the brain. Cataract is the clouding of the natural lens, which lies behind the iris and the pupil. It is the most common cause of blindness and is conventionally treated with surgery.
According to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC)’s Ophthalmologist, Dr George Norton, cataract can be characterized by how it is formed.
He explained that there is congenital cataract. There is also senile cataract which is what one develops because of an aging process and you can develop traumatic cataract because of an injury.
Metabolic cataract however is formed because of a disease like diabetes.
“You can also describe a cataract from the extent of which it exists, in that, it can be in an initial stage where there is some amount of vision or it could be a mature cataract where practically most of the vision is lost or it can be hyper-mature cataract where the patient can suffer irreversible blindness,” Norton said.
What causes Cataracts?
The lens inside the eye works much like a camera lens, focusing light onto the retina for clear vision. It also adjusts the eyes’ focus, letting us see things clearly both up close and far away. The lens is mostly made of water and protein. The protein is arranged in a precise way that keeps the lens clear and let light pass through it.
But according to Dr Norton, as we age, some of the protein may clump together and start to cloud a small area of the lens- this is cataract, and over time, it may grow larger and cloud more of the lens, making it harder to see.
What is the process at GPHC?
According to the GPHC Ophthalmologist, patients who need eye care are first seen by a health care provider who then refers them to the eye-specialist; this is done with a referral letter basically stating the patient’s history of the complain and the physical findings.
After a triage process which is done by eye nurses, the patient would then see the eye specialist, who after recording in detail the person’s history and examination will then decide on the management of the patient which would most likely be surgery, if cataract is diagnosed.
The patient would then have to undergo a general medical checkup to make sure all the parameters are intact, that is, their blood sugar level, their blood pressure level, temperature among other things are okay. The patient is given a date to return for surgery.
Surgery…
An example of an artificial lens being implanted.
“The surgery is done under local anesthesia meaning we do not put the patient to sleep but we take measures so that the patient will not feel excessive pain. We can do that by using eye drops, eye-ointment or injections” Dr Norton explained.
He added that in most cataract surgeries, injections are generally used because not only does the injection prevent the pain but it also prevents movement of the eye.
“With the eye-drops and the eye- ointment you will prevent the pain but the patient will have movement so it is more comfortable to inject the patient.”
Dr Norton who has served the GPHC for over 20 years explained that cataract operation is simply removing the eye’s natural lens and replacing it with an artificial one.
During surgery, the surgeon will remove the clouded lens and replace it with a clear, plastic intraocular lens (IOL).
Some surgeons, according to him will ask the patients to open their eyes immediately after surgery to experience the end result while some cover the eye for at least one day since it would usually be red.
Similar Articles
THE BLUNT OF THE DAY
Sports
Features/Columnists
Merry Christmas, Ya Filthy Animals!
Peeping Tom… Kaieteur News- Ah, Christmas—the season of goodwill, good cheer, and, let’s not forget, good riddance!... more
Breaking the Chains of Poverty: A need for political will
By Sir Ronald Sanders Kaieteur News- The year 2024 has underscored a grim reality: poverty continues to be an unyielding... more
Weekend Cartoon
