Cataract Meaning:
A cataract is a clouding of the lens in the eye which leads to a decrease in vision. Cataracts often develop slowly and can affect one or both eyes. Symptoms may include faded colors, blurry vision, halos around light, trouble with bright lights, and trouble seeing at night. Cataract Surgery Kenya
Diagnosis
The Visual Function Index (VF-14) is a brief questionnaire designed to measure functional impairment on patients due to cataract. It consists of 18 questions covering 14 aspects of visual function affected by cataracts.
Cataracts can be classified by using the lens opacities classification system LOCS III. In this system, cataracts are classified based on type as nuclear, cortical, or posterior.
B-scan ultrasonography is an important adjuvant for the clinical assessment of various ocular and orbital diseases.B-scan ultrasound is most useful when direct visualization of intraocular structures is difficult or impossible
Cataract risk factors
Factors that increase your risk of cataracts include:
- Increasing age
- Diabetes
- Excessive exposure to sunlight
- Smoking
- Obesity
- High blood pressure
- Previous eye injury or inflammation
- Previous eye surgery
- Prolonged use of corticosteroid medications
- Drinking excessive amounts of alcohol
Cataracts Treatment in Kenya
The only effective treatment for cataracts is surgically replacing the natural eye lens with an artificial lens known as an intraocular lens (IOL)
Cataract Surgery Kenya
Cost of Cataract Surgery in Kenya
Below are average cost for Cataract Surgery Kenya:
1. Small Incision Cataract surgery with Implant
Ksh: 50,000.00 – Ksh: 80,000.00
2. Combine procedure (Posterior vitrectomy, buckle or band and cataract surgery and intraocular lens implant)
Ksh: 250,000.00 -Ksh: 300,000.00
3. Combine procedure (Posterior vitrectomy and cataract surgery and
intraocular lens implant)
Ksh: 250,000.00- Ksh: 300,000.00
4.Phacoemulsification Cataract surgery with Implant
Ksh: 70,000.00 – Ksh: 90,000.00
5. Triple Procedure (Corneal transplant+cataract surgery+ intraocular lens)
Ksh: 200,000.00 – Ksh: 250,000.00 :Cataract Surgery Kenya
Hospitals that treat Cataracts in Kenya
Most goverment Hospitals have their eye units/ departments
View best eye hospitals involved in cataracts and other eye problems
Cataracts Statistics in Kenya
It’s estimated there are 328,000 blind people in Kenya, with another 750,000 visually impaired. Cataract is the largest cause of avoidable blindness in the country, making up 43% of all cases of blindness.
According to the latest assessment, cataract is responsible for 51% of world blindness, which represents about 20 million people (2010)
Cataract Surgery Video
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Organizations Involved with Cataracts and Eye problems in Kenya
1. Kenya Ophthalmic Programme
The Kenya Ophthalmic Project (KOP) is a National eye care project under the Ministry of public Health and Sanitation in collaboration with Kenya Society for the Blind and other development partners. KOP is under Division of Ophthalmic Services (DOS). DOS is mandate to reduce the incidence of preventable blindness in Kenya by providing preventive and curative of Eye Care Services through integration of Primary Eye Care into the existing Primary Health Care system in the Country.
2. The Kenya Society for the Blind (KSB)
The Kenya Society for the Blind (KSB) is a charitable organization established in 1956 by an Act of Parliament to “promote the welfare, education, training and employment of the blind and to assist in the prevention and alleviation of blindness; assist the government, societies, any institution, organizations or society or person in all matters related to blind; help in awakening public interest in the welfare of the blind and in all matters relating to blindness and to advise on all things necessary or required in any matter to or connected with the blind”
3. The Fred Hollows Foundation
References
1.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cataract
2.Henderson, Bonnie (2007), “Extracapsular Cataract Extraction”, Essentials of Cataract Surgery, SLACK, p. 187, ISBN 9781556428029
3.Pandey, Suresh K. (2005). Pediatric cataract surgery techniques, complications, and management. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. p. 20.
4.Naumann; Holbach; Kruse, eds. (2008), “Complications After Cataract Surgery”, Applied Pathology for Ophthalmic Microsurgeons, Springer Science & Business, p. 247
5.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3068804/
6.https://www.aao.org/eye-health/diseases/cataracts-iol-implants
6.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1705981/
Cataract Surgery Kenya
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