Cataract surgery for eye pressure.

[Lizzyanne567]

Hello everyone,well after 9 months of waiting I am finally getting cataract surgery on 13 Feb to lower my eye pressure.l would like to know by how much it can lower pressure and will I still need drops afterwards,l have very narrow angles.

[KieranGlaucomaUK Administrator]

Hi there. Cataract surgery can be very helpful in lowering eye pressure in those with narrow angles. It is difficult to say how much the pressure will reduce, but your eye specialist will be careful to monitor this after the surgery. You might still need drops, but this will depend on how successful the surgery is. Some people with narrow angles or closed angle glaucoma who have cataract surgery do manage to come off their drops afterwards, so this is a possibility. I hope your surgery goes well.

[Pley in reply to KieranGlaucomaUK]

I've had the cataract surgery now on both my eyes to reduce the pressure. I have closed angle glaucoma. The operations did reduce the pressures, but I still have to take eye drops three times a day. Hope this helps.

[Lizzyanne567 in reply to Pley]

Hi I've got primary Closed Angles but no glaucoma so I'm hoping I won't need drops anymore

[Macavity99]

probably not relevant, I have normal pressure open angle glaucoma. Cataracts done on both eyes. Pressure down from around 12 to 8 in both at last measure. I’m still told to stay on drops, bitamoprost. Like you I wouldn’t mind dropping or reducing them.

[NewSh0e in reply to Macavity99]

Do you mind me asking how old you are? I just had a hospital appt and was strongly encouraged to have the surgery. I’m very conflicted about it though.

[Lizzyanne567 in reply to NewSh0e]

Hello,I will be 73 in April,I only have early cataracts but I have very narrow angles,I had iridotomy last year but it didn't bring my eye pressure down much,I'm hoping cataract surgery will bring my pressures down quite a bit reducing the chance of me getting glaucoma in the future.

[NewSh0e in reply to Lizzyanne567]

Thanks so much for your reply Lizzyanne. From what I understand cataract surgery can be effective in examples of elevated pressure, fingers crossed it helps for you!

[Lizzyanne567 in reply to NewSh0e]

Thank you

[Macavity99 in reply to NewSh0e]

I’m 78. First cataract about 4 years ago, before glaucoma diagnosed. Left eye cataract about a year ago. The left eye certainly came down from 12 ish to 8 at last measure. The cataract wasn’t very bad, I don’t think they would have done it otherwise, it was a sort of consolation prize because drops weren’t doing much, and they didn’t have anything else to offer. But it did improve considerably as left eye, which was wonderful when first done, has deteriorated.

If you have any cataract, it is probably worth doing, my left eye was definitely an improvement.

It’s taken a while to adjust to second eye, first time for 65 years I can see mid distance without specs!

I saw a consultant privately, as I was worried it might go too low, he said stay on drops.

[Macavity99 in reply to Macavity99]

I’m 78. First cataract about 4 years ago, before glaucoma diagnosed. Left eye cataract about a year ago. The left eye certainly came down from 12 ish to 8 at last measure. The cataract wasn’t very bad, I don’t think they would have done it otherwise, it was a sort of consolation prize because drops weren’t doing much, and they didn’t have anything else to offer. But it did improve considerably as left eye, which was wonderful when first done, has deteriorated.

If you have any cataract, it is probably worth doing, my left eye was definitely an improvement.

It’s taken a while to adjust to second eye, first time for 65 years I can see mid distance without specs!

I saw a consultant privately, as I was worried it might go too low, he said stay on drops.

[NewSh0e]

thanks LizzyAnne my issue is I don’t have cataracts, so the consultant is talking about removing a lens that’s fine to reduce the chance of damaging it during stent surgery. It doesn’t make sense to me, particularly as so many people have to stay on drops afterwards.

Very confusing time!