Diabetic macular oedema and cataracts

[Koalajane]

Hi, I have DMO and currently having injections in both eyes. I went to the opticians this week and although I have mentioned cataracts at the eye clinic it has not been discussed. The optician said my cataract in my left eye had progressed a fair bit. Is it correct that it will not be operated on whilst I am having injections?

I also asked at my last eye clinic appointment about my dry eye syndrome and was not told a lot, or given any recommendation for eye drops etc. The optician checked how bad the dry eye syndrome was, (moderate to severe) and recommended a heated mask and a particular type of eye drops. I have used them and felt after 2 days an improvement so glad to have been to the optician.

[RosMacularSociety Partner]

Dear Koalajane,

It is worth asking your ophthalmologist about your cataracts. You can ring them via their secretary and pose any questions.

Certainly with wet AMD, previously ophthalmologists were reluctant to remove cataracts when an individual had active wet AMD, so therefore, were receiving injections. They will now consider it, still firstly weighing up the potential risks and benefits and relative impact of the cataracts in relation to the macular condition. This may also be the case with DMO, however, you do need to clarify this with your ophthalmologist.

Kind regards,

Macular Society Advice and Information Service

0300 3030 111

[e-mail]

[tallyho]

Hi there great post . I also have DMO and cataracts. I think it is possible to have them done whilst having injections. I have narrow angles too and so have had many discussions about having my cataracts done but they are not really ripe enough for justification so not yet. It’s never been suggested I can’t have them done due to having injections. There may be a point whereby you need to have them done because you struggle to see and they struggle to see in your eye with the slit lamp . I would def ask at your next appointment.

[Koalajane in reply to tallyho]

Thanks for that. It seems strange to me that the opthamologist at the eye clinic has not mentioned them but the optician did. I thought they were not too bad and that the poorer sight in my left eye which is the one with the worst cataracts was due to the DMO so in a way relieved that it is more due to the cataract.

[tallyho in reply to Koalajane]

I wonder if he has not mentioned it because you have not?

Also he is really the one that concentrates at looking at the back of your eyes not the front and if he can still see what he needs to then that is all he needs to do.

Cateract operations are not without risk, cataract operations can lead to more oedema which may have been in his mind too hence not mentioning it.

[Koalajane in reply to tallyho]

I have mentioned it but not got much of a reply. I don’t think it helps a lot that I never see the same opthamologist and many do not explain much

[springcross]

I apparently have cataracts in both eyes and a year ago I was told that they were very small and would not be operated on for a few years. Last Thursday, when I went for my injection for wet AMD, I was having problems with vision because I have been having to wait eight weeks in between the last two injections and whilst I did have more leakage there, the opthalmologist told me that the one in my left eye (wet AMD eye) has gotten bigger but didn't say any more than that.

[Sijslws]

Hi I also have DMOpkus Cateracts in both eyes although one eye is worse than the other. I have been told that they will not even think about whether the Cateract in the worse eye merits removal until the injections for DMO have finished which at times feels that it will be sometime never.

Alun

[Koalajane in reply to Sijslws]

Thanks for that. So we just have to cope with bad vision until the injections stop which could be never!

[Sijslws]

Not saying it's right just indicating what my experience has been. Unfortunately the production line type of basis on which the Injection Clinic operates at my local Eye Unit and when you see a doctor it is rarely the same one 2 times in succession it is very difficult to get a conversation about the degree of risk involved if a cateract operation were to take place before the INjection treatment has fully run it's course. There is also the issue of whether they would be willing to do the Cataract removal operation any way because of the Clinical Commissioning Group's criteria for funding the Category Removal as a lot of CCGs have tightened the criteria so that not so many of us qualify for the treatment.

Alun

[Koalajane]

My eye clinic is exactly the same. You never see the same doctor and many of them are quite brusque. It is often the nurse/practitioner who explains more to me.