Cataracts are a leading cause of blindness in elderly people. Studies reveal that around half of people aged 75 to 85 have experienced vision loss due to cataracts. Though the severity of the problem may vary from one individual to another, the end game is still the same. Over time, cataracts will break down the eye’s lens and cause a partial, and eventually, a complete loss of vision.
And it’s hard to protect against it because it’s not caused by overuse of your eyes. You may not even realize you have it because the proteins that cause them grow very slowly. The good news is that most of the time, the condition is very easy to treat, and the success rate is extremely high. According to the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ASCRS), the overall success rate of the operation is over 98 percent.
Since older people are the ones primarily affected by the condition, some people of advanced age wonder if they are still a good candidate for surgery. So, is there an age limit on the procedure? The general answer is no. But since each patient is different, it’s up to you and your Los Angeles cataract surgery specialist to evaluate your situation and determine if surgery is indeed the best option for your condition.
To be clear, age is not a limiting factor for cataract surgery, some people over the age of 100 have received the procedure. In fact, in 2011, a 109-year old female in China named Guo Lianshieng underwent cataract surgery, with good results. That said, there are certain conditions and circumstances that would prevent you from undergoing the treatment, as they can limit the success of the surgery, maybe even negatively affect the expected results. These include:
- Underlying conditions such as glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy
- Previous eye trauma suffered from an accident
- Prior eye surgery
- Advanced form of cataract that is no longer treatable
- Genetic conditions such as Marfan’s syndrome and keratoconus
To find out if you are a good candidate for cataract surgery and if it can improve your eyesight, schedule your consultation with a Los Angeles cataract surgery center, such as Excel Laser Vision Institute.
