Essential medical test before cataract surgery sydney

Essential medical test before cataract surgery sydney

A competent eye surgeon will not perform cataract surgery on you without first testing you. Medical test is an integral part in terms restoring one’s health. Therefore, if you see the symptoms of cataracts, some tests will be carried out on you even before you enter the theatre room for surgery.

You might be wondering why you need to know the medical tests involve before cataract surgery sydney. Knowing the medical tests involved in cataract surgery will help you to prepare yourself for the task ahead. So, with the explanation of the medical tests, we will talk about here, you will at least have a clue about the process. 

Also, if you want to know if your cataract surgeon is competent, he would run some tests on you to see the state of your eye health. A qualified eye doctor will measure the visual acuity before telling a patient to register for cataract surgery. He (the doctor) will also examine the pupil, the lids, and lashes. Your doctor will also measure the intraocular pressure.    

Related: Essential things to know before going for cataract surgery

Therefore, in this article, we will explain the meaning of cataracts and what cataract surgery entails. Then, we will move on to explain in detail some necessary medical tests before cataract surgery.

Essential medical test before cataract surgery sydney

However, you need to do something special. You need to pay attention and shun all distractions right now. Are you ready for the ride? Let’s ride!

The moment you’re seeing some difficulties in your eyes, there should be a cause for alarm. The common signs that one may be battling cataracts are glare of light, if you find it so hard to see at night, inability to read, and astigmatism. A cataract occurs when there is a problem in the cloudy zone of the eye. 

So, cataract begins when the protein in the eye starts to accumulate clumps that can affect the lens from transferring clear images to the retina. Once the lens is affected from transporting images to the retina, one will begin to see some of the symptoms listed above. A cataract does not occur suddenly. It does happen bit by bit, and one needs to rise and do the needful before things get worse. 

What is cataract surgery?

Cataract surgery is the most successful way of treating cataracts. The fact remains that cataract occurs when the natural lens is faulty or damaged. So, once the natural lens is affected, there’s no other way to treat it than to replace the natural lens with an artificial one. And that’s the procedure in cataract surgery. Cataract surgery is the process that involves bringing out the faulty natural lens and replacing it with an artificial one. The natural lens cannot be repaired. Once it is defective, one can only replace it with an artificial one.  Click here to read more about Some exciting facts about nitrile gloves you should know.

Essential medical test before cataract surgery

  1. Biometry test: This special test measures the eye’s shape and size. It is unprofessional for a surgeon to carry out cataract surgery on patients without running this test on them. A biometric test is a unique tool to measure or calculate the power of intraocular lens implants for cataract surgery. Dear reader, we want you to know that the moment you hear your doctor telling you that he needs to run a biometric test on you, you should rest assured you’re in the right place. Therefore, please remember that you’ll do a biometric test before entering the theatre room for cataract surgery. 
  2. Corneal topography test: This medical test is helpful in exceptional cases. It is a test that must be carried out on patients that wants to undergo laser corneal surgery. A corneal topography test must be carried out on patients before cataract surgery. It is a test used to detect the intraocular lens’s type and power to be implanted. 
Essential medical test before cataract surgery sydney
  1. Blood pressure test: A test that’ll shows the blood pressure must be carried out on patients before cataract surgery. If the blood pressure is high, the surgeon should suspend the surgery. Conducting a surgery when one’s blood pressure is high can leads to complications during the surgery. 
    Bleeding can occur if the blood pressure is high. And that is why competent surgeons will not overlook the aspect of knowing the blood pressure level of their patients before they embark on the surgery procedure. Therefore, if you are advised to undergo cataract surgery to remove cataracts in your eye and the surgeon is not concerned about your blood pressure, we will notify you to visit another clinic. Honestly, some people completely lose their sight because they have high blood pressure. So, when the surgeon made a cut, their blood rushed out with so much pressure. Please take note of this. 
  1. Optical coherence tomography test: This test is also essential before cataract surgery. An eye specialist can measure the frontal chamber area of the lens with optical coherence tomography. Likewise, optical coherence tomography can also be used to measure the viewpoint of the lens. Then, with posterior segment optical coherence tomography, the eye specialist will know if there are fluctuations in the macula. This is a vital tool for getting a prediction for the patient. Please note that if the optical coherence tomography is evocative on any macular, then the choice of the lens may likely change. 

Other things that must be done before cataract surgery

The eye specialist would also make sure that the patients are in their right frame of mind. Patients must be ready physically and psychologically. Complications may arise if someone that wants to undergo cataract surgery is not balanced emotionally. So, it is expedient for you to know that after the above-listed tests have been carried out on you, you also need to put yourself together and stay strong. That way, you can avoid complications after and during the procedure.

Also, patients that’ll undergo cataract surgery should not exercise fear. Do not allow the fear of surgery to grip your heart. 

On a final note

Dear reader, we hope you’ve seen something to share with family and friends that are battling cataracts. This article contains the meaning of cataracts and what cataract surgery entails. Then, we discussed the medical tests that’ll be carried out on patients before undergoing this procedure. Finally, if you have a contribution or a perception regarding this topic, please share.  

Posted by Katie Starke