Main eye specialists within the nation have allayed glaucoma sufferers' fears of going blind after surgical procedure.
The ophthalmologists said in separate unique interviews with PUNCH Healthwise that whereas the concern of going blind was justified, glaucoma surgical procedure couldn’t trigger blindness, however somewhat would delay the onset of blindness and protect their present imaginative and prescient.
In addition they claimed that the surgical procedure wouldn’t enhance their imaginative and prescient or reverse blindness.
In accordance with the Nationwide Eye Institute, glaucoma is a gaggle of eye illnesses that may trigger imaginative and prescient loss and blindness on account of harm to the optic nerve.
The signs are normally unnoticeable till gradual imaginative and prescient loss happens, however it may be detected early with an eye fixed take a look at.
Earlier research performed by ophthalmologists who spoke to PUNCH Healthwise discovered that concern of going blind was the most typical cause glaucoma sufferers refused surgical procedure.
The Chairman, Nationwide Eye Well being Fee, Federal Ministry of Well being, Professor Afehide Omoti, mentioned about 1.4 million Nigerians have glaucoma and one in 5 individuals over the age of 40 will develop glaucoma.
He additionally mentioned it’s the second main type of blindness in Nigeria after cataract and the main explanation for irreversible blindness.
Though there isn’t a remedy for glaucoma, medical, laser and surgical therapies are the strategies of remedy.
The danger components embody age, genetics, hypertension, myopia, migraines and household historical past of glaucoma.
The specialists urged people with a household historical past of glaucoma and adults over the age of 40 to go to an ophthalmologist yearly.
Chatting with PUNCH Healthwise, Omoti, a professor of ophthalmology on the College of Benin, Edo State, said that there’s at present no remedy for glaucoma, including that it’s the main explanation for irreversible blindness.
He additional famous that though glaucoma brought on irreversible blindness, surgical procedure was one option to delay the onset of blindness.
“It’s a blinding illness, undoubtedly as a result of the strain within the eye is excessive and step by step destroys the optic nerve that carries imaginative and prescient from the eyes to the mind. Till the nerve is greater than 70 % broken earlier than the person begins to really feel the symptom that one thing is mistaken. So when many individuals are instructed they’ve glaucoma, it isn’t shocking that they concern blindness,” he mentioned.
The attention surgeon additional famous that glaucoma was not curable and may very well be handled with drugs, normally eye drops, laser and surgical procedure.
“All sorts of remedy are geared toward reducing eye strain to a stage the place no additional harm happens. Whenever you use eye drops, the strain drops, however as quickly as you cease utilizing eye drops, the strain rises once more. However there are points with the attention drops, akin to compliance with drug administration, the specter of counterfeit medication, and the power to stick to required temperature storage and publicity.
“Lasers aren’t as extensively accessible or efficient for black folks, however they work. However the really helpful remedy we depend on in Africa is surgical procedure,” he mentioned.
Nonetheless, the glaucoma and Anterior Phase Issues researcher famous that in a research he performed, solely 32 % of glaucoma sufferers would settle for surgical procedure within the early levels and only some would undergo with the surgical procedure, citing concern as some of the essential components. of the primary causes for refusing surgical procedure.
Omoti additional said: “Many could have seen sufferers who went blind after surgical procedure, however this isn’t a results of the surgical procedure. It is usually doable that because of problems in the course of the operation, the affected person's imaginative and prescient could additional deteriorate or develop into blind. Nonetheless, surgical procedure is essentially the most dependable option to maintain eye strain low sufficient to forestall additional imaginative and prescient deterioration. However many favor to be on the protected facet and resolve to make use of an eye fixed drop as a substitute of present process surgical procedure. However the eye drops are helpful to somebody who can afford them and who will be trusted to take them when the time is correct.”
He claimed that the attention drops couldn’t enhance imaginative and prescient or present a remedy for the situation.
Omoti then said that the concern of going blind after the operation was not justified and said that the possibility of that occuring was small.
He mentioned: 'The operation includes making a gap within the eye to permit fluid to empty and soften the attention in order that blood can movement in additional simply. After surgical procedure, the affected person ought to nonetheless be monitored.
“One other main cause why folks could concern glaucoma surgical procedure is that they know that in the event that they do the surgical procedure, their imaginative and prescient won’t enhance, so that they refuse to do it. Nonetheless, surgical procedure could also be costly within the quick time period however cheaper than eye drops in the long run. The surgical procedure helps to protect present imaginative and prescient for a for much longer time frame as there isn’t a remedy for glaucoma-induced blindness.”
The attention surgeon additional famous that remedy was troublesome in folks of the black race, noting that individuals from southeastern Nigeria had the next threat of glaucoma on account of sure genetic traits revealed by analysis.
Michaeline Isawumi, a professor of ophthalmology at Osun State College, additionally said that the concern of blindness was frequent amongst sufferers with superior glaucoma.
She additional famous that though surgical procedure was carried out to protect present imaginative and prescient and stop it from worsening, many sufferers nonetheless anticipated higher imaginative and prescient after surgical procedure.
The researcher within the subject of eye illnesses and blindness in kids additional famous: “Nonetheless, a affected person with superior glaucoma normally has very restricted visible fields. Thus, if care just isn’t taken, the remaining constricted or slim sight view will be obliterated and the affected person will develop into blind after surgical procedure.
“Surgical procedure can not enhance imaginative and prescient, however most sufferers count on enhancements after surgical procedure, which can by no means occur, particularly with superior glaucoma. Different postoperative problems akin to infections of the interior eye (endophthalmitis) and cataracts could happen, which may result in blindness. These are normally rare and unusual. Nonetheless, the cataract will be operated on and the affected person's imaginative and prescient will be restored. That is solely doable in sufferers who wouldn’t have superior glaucoma and have a beforehand slim visible subject.”
Isawumi, dean of medical sciences at OSU, famous that glaucoma is a extra preventable situation, and known as for an annual eye checkup with an ophthalmologist for these over 40 years of age.
“For sufferers with a household historical past of glaucoma, every grownup member of that household ought to then go to the ophthalmologist yearly for a check-up. This could proceed for 3 to 4 generations as a result of there’s a household historical past. It should be made identified to the approaching generations.
“To stop blindness in glaucoma sufferers, they should be steadfast with their drugs and all the time maintain them in inventory. There ought to all the time be at the very least two to 3 doses of the drugs on the ground,” the don suggested.
One other professor and advisor ophthalmologist on the Lagos State College Educating Hospital, Ikeja, Bola Adekoya, said that the concern of surgical procedure was a sound concern that docs took into consideration whereas speaking to sufferers requiring surgical procedure.
She famous that the affordability, availability and reliability of the effectiveness of the medical remedy, specifically using eye drops, made surgical procedure the really helpful remedy plan.
The don said: “For almost all of our sufferers, as a result of we wouldn’t have all the mandatory lasers in most of our facilities, surgical procedure is normally the subsequent step, which is important to make sure that we stabilize the imaginative and prescient.
“The affected person's issues are legitimate, however we see that the profit far outweighs the chance of not having surgical procedure, as a result of if we don’t carry out additional intervention akin to surgical procedure, there may be an nearly one hundred pc assure that if the strain just isn’t effectively managed, the affected person would lose his imaginative and prescient down the road. So the concern of surgical procedure is justified, but when they don't have surgical procedure, they’ll lose their imaginative and prescient much more.”
She defined that the advantages and surgical course of have been clearly defined to the sufferers, however the last resolution was as much as the affected person.
The ophthalmologist additionally mentioned sufferers have been effectively managed and typically referred to devoted care suppliers to make sure their fears have been allayed.
The glaucoma researcher additional famous that almost all sufferers refused surgical procedure and left, solely to return months later with worsened imaginative and prescient.
“With any deterioration in imaginative and prescient, that particular person's visible capability is lowered, making the operation a larger threat than if she or he nonetheless had increased imaginative and prescient. Regardless of how little imaginative and prescient there may be within the eye, if a affected person wants surgical procedure and the medical remedy he undergoes doesn’t correctly management his strain, he wants surgical procedure as a result of the choice is everlasting blindness,” Adekoya mentioned.
The ophthalmologist additionally famous that glaucoma was extra extreme in black folks than in white folks and urged sufferers with a household historical past of glaucoma to report back to eye facilities early. Glaucoma surgical procedure won’t trigger blindness, ophthalmologists inform sufferers
