Friday, May 1, 2009

How well do you know your eyes?



Went for an eye care talk by Dr. Yeo Phee Liang at MBKS this morning. Two topics for discussion: Cataract Surgery & Glaucoma. and how diabetes and high blood pressure can cause damage to the eyes.

From this talk, i get to know that LASIK surgery is recommended for short sighted people from age 20-40. This expensive surgery can cure your sight, meaning one longer has to wear specs or contact lens, but when you reach the age of 40, you still, will have to suffer from Cataract disease. Cataract is what we know as 'bai mo'. (Anna, correct me for any misinformation ya..) The process of extracting the 'egg white' out of your eyes and replacing a 'mirror' only uses about 15-20 minutes. After this cataract surgery, one will no longer have to worry about old age far sightedness, cataract and short sightedness. In short, it's killing three birds with one stone.

However, during the informal Q&A session, there are several audiences who voiced out their negative experiences of undergoing such surgeries. One uncle's 'mirror' 'moved place' after 3 months, and he has to fly to kl for immediate surgery or he will loose his eye sight. How scary is that? But, this technology advancement has saved hundreds and thousands of public.

As for Glaucoma, it is a disease caused by increased intraocular pressure (IOP) resulting either from a malformation or malfunction of the eye’s drainage structures. Left untreated, an elevated IOP causes irreversible damage the optic nerve and retinal fibers resulting in a progressive, permanent loss of vision. However, early detection and treatment can slow, or even halt the progression of the disease.

4 comments:

  1. wah!
    even attend this type of talks, very good!!
    You really love learning, good good good!!
    Keep it up!!

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  2. Haha.. I can give more info here. I'm a bit too obsessed with things related to the eye.. HEHE.

    Well, the 'mirror' u mention is actually the intraocular lens (IOL). The uncle who voiced out that his IOL was shifted is no big deal, he won't lost his sight as in 'blind' but things is blurry and can be fixed very easily. Cataracts: 白内障

    To say a bit more.. (sorry I'm just being toooo much) High BP wont actually have very high effect on getting glaucoma as it is very indirectly related. High IOP does not means you will have high BP. I've asked lecturer about this before and studies said so. Glaucoma: 青光眼

    Glaucoma can be congenital or hereditary or adult onset. If your immediate family has glaucoma there's 50% more chance that you will likely to have it. Glaucoma is a more serious case than cataracts. Glaucoma will make you blind eventually if the optic nerve is damage but cataracts wont. A surgery would be good enough to deal with cataracts.

    To prevent cataracts, wear PROPER protective sunglasses when you're out there under the sun, if you dont want your internal lens of your eye to be 'cooked like a boiling egg'.

    Sorry Yiing for me being too '啰嗦'. Good job Yiing for going to the talk. Now that you've learn more. BTW, where's that dr from?

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  3. Dr Yeo had been studyin and working at Ireland for 20 years. then back in Malaysia, University Malaya for another 6 years. now, he's opening his own ___Vision at Damansara, KL doin this kinda surgery. THanks for the info Anna dear, will u get to laern how to operate eye surgery? btw, heard Ade says u'll be back in June, When?

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  4. :)
    Only those who has a medical degree (MBBS) and specialise in Ophthalmology, allow to perform surgery. As for LASIK surgery, I'll have a chance to perform if I do PhD. I've been taught about a few principles and theories in doing surgery, but not hands on.

    I'll give you a surprise call when i'm back in kch! is your number still 01x-xxxx166?

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