Eye surgery in the elderly.
Extending life expectancy is a human achievement. It does however entail problems. Ophthalmic treatments are widely recognized as having a low risk of general complications. A classic example is cataract surgery, considered to be one of the safest and most frequently performed surgical procedures in the world. However, advanced age brings with it risks that should be considered before surgery. Eye operations, as with procedures on other organs, are largely dependent on the quality of surgical tissues. Therefore, the elderly are at increased risk of complications. Improved general health and postoperative follow-up with the use of noninvasive technologies such as optical coherence tomography translate into lower intraoperative risk and better postoperative prognosis. In this review, we discuss the impact of general health on operational prognosis, therapeutic problems, and technical difficulties which a surgeon and anesthesiologist may encounter in the process. We also consider new technology and strategies specifically aimed at treating eye conditions in the elderly.
Department of Ophthalmology, Medical University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland.
Dorota
D
Raczyńska
Department of Ophthalmology, Medical University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland.
Leopold
L
Glasner
Department of Ophthalmology, Medical University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland.
Ewelina
E
Serkies-Minuth
Department of Ophthalmology, Medical University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland.
Magdalena A
MA
Wujtewicz
Department of Ophthalmology, Medical University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland.
Kamila
K
Mitrosz
D000368:Aged; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000628:therapy; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D008603:Mental Health; D009747:Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D013508:Ophthalmologic Surgical Procedures / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000592:standards*; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012140:Respiratory Tract Diseases / Q000628:therapy; D012923:Social Class; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence; D014792:Visual Acuity
age-related macular degeneration; anesthesiology in ophthalmology; cataract; eye aging; eye surgery; glaucoma; vitrectomy