Laser surgery

LindaLee-Caregiver

Does anyone have experience with laser surgery and/or any challenges that could impact someone who has Alzheimers?  Thank you!

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LaurenB

My LO had a quick correction to a prior surgery on her eye.  I was against it since she wouldn’t understand what was going on and didn’t think that it would make a difference.  As it turns out, she had the laser (stepparent is POA).  She didn’t know what was going on, but thankfully didn’t flip out.  It made zero difference to her vision as part of her disease involves not attending to obstacles in her path.  I guess what I’m getting at is that you need to have as much information as possible about the procedure and the expected outcomes. You’ll have to decide if it’s the best choice.

M1

I would think the ability to hold still would be the biggest impediment. Pretty important for accuracy with laser procedures

Iris L.

M1 wrote:

I would think the ability to hold still would be the biggest impediment. 

Also not rubbing her eye.

Iris

Iris L.

Victoria2020 wrote:

As my 98 year old LO with ALZ said " I don't know any old people-I mean, why would I?"

My chuckle for the day!  Thanks, Victoria.

Iris

Kendelemen

Hi

CanyonGal

My mother had to have the intraocular lens replaced from a fall. They said she could stay awake during the 2 hour surgery or they could sedate her. I opted to sedate her because she would freak out, have to leave to go to the bathroom, go to sleep, etc.

The facility did the pre and post eye drops. She did a good job on not rubbing the eye and the eye healed.

She didn't want to go to the dining room though because people might see her eye patch. 

Kendelemen

For people with Alzheimer's, it is important to consider the cognitive and memory impairments that may affect their ability to understand and follow pre- and post-operative instructions. It's important to have a clear communication with the surgeon and caregivers, to ensure that the patient is aware and comfortable with the procedure. Also, it's important to know that the patient can't drive and need assistance during the recovery process. It's also crucial to find a reputable and experienced surgeon, you can check out the td {border: 1px solid #cccccc;}br {mso-data-placement:same-cell;}https://www.visageclinic.com/cosmetic-surgery/facelift/ as they specialize in laser surgery and have a team of experienced and knowledgeable professionals who can guide you through the process.

HollyBerry

My mother had vascular dementia and had a number of eye-related issues in her last couple of years.  At one point the opthamologist was discussing options and she very clearly said she did not want to have surgery if the problem didn't improve on its own with time.  He seemed relieved that she felt that way and later confirmed that he wouldn't advise doing the surgery even if she hadn't already indicated that she didn't want it.  He felt like it would be "hard on her," though I don't know exactly what that meant.  She couldn't lie on her back for very long and got claustrophobic very easily.  She struggled to answer questions during an exam and couldn't describe what she could or couldn't see.  I suspect all of these things would be related to the success of the surgery, other than the objective part of fixing whatever the physical problem was.

JosephElizabeth

Well, people with Alzheimer's disease often have complex medical needs and may be more susceptible to complications. Besides, they may have difficulty following pre-operative and post-operative instructions. At least, this happened in my friend's case when she tried the liposuction surgery at https://www.visageclinic.com/the-art-of-liposuction/. However, those guys handled the situation great. She felt confusion and disorientation, but this didn't affect the final result. I can tell you that it's essential for a person with Alzheimer's disease who is considering laser surgery to discuss their individual situation with an expert.