Retinitis pigmentosa is a genetic disease that affects about 15,000 people in Italy. Among the most disabling symptoms are night blindness, the development of tunnel vision and the progressive decrease in central vision. If cataracts also occur in these patients, precautions before surgery are essential to obtain the best possible result. As asked by this reader who fears further deterioration of vision after cataract surgery. He answers Romulus AppolloniUOC director of Ophthalmology S. Eugenio Hospital-CTO of Rome.
“With eyes open”, Totò Cascio talks about what it means to have retinitis pigmentosa
edited by Irma D’Aria
Request. For a person who has retinitis pigmentosa and has to have cataract surgery, what is advisable to do: a traditional treatment or with a laser? For those suffering from this pathology, can this intervention cause further damage or lead to the risk of blindness?
Answer. Cataract surgery is an important moment in the clinical history of patients with retinitis pigmentosa. Often the opacity of the lens manifests itself in these patients at an earlier age than in the population of the same age and sex, leading to a significant impairment of central vision in the context of a general visual field already greatly deteriorated due to the pathology itself. Both surgical techniques are decisive in replacing the opaque lens, the choice recommended by the expert must therefore fall on the one that guarantees the least inflammatory impact on the tissues in order to minimize the repercussions on the already diseased retina. In this perspective, the femtolaser technique guarantees less ocular trauma by releasing a lower amount of inflammation on the tissues and minimizing the risk of worsening of the hereditary pathology. Furthermore, given the weakness of the crystalline support structures which are very often typical in this category of patients, the laser technique can reduce the percentage of complications linked to the surgery itself. For these reasons, although the traditional technique remains a valid alternative, we advise you to prefer a femtolaser treatment whenever possible in your facility.
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