What is aphakia?
The absence of the lens of one or both of our eyes is called as aphakia. The lens of our eye is a flexible, biconvex and clear in structure. It helps our eyes to focus on any object properly.
In case of the missing of eye lens, you will not be able to see anything properly or clearly with your affected eye.
Aphakia mostly occurs in adults or older people who have cataracts (it is a clouding of your internal eye lens and your looks like milky). It can also affect the people of all ages including young people, children, and infants.
Aphakia symptoms:
Missing of the lens of your eye can lead to various symptoms. The symptoms of aphakia are given below:
- Farsightedness (trouble seeing things up close)
- Blurry vision
- Trouble in focusing
- Defective vision
- Cyanopsia or blue vision
- Erythropsia (objects appear reddish)
- Color vision problems
- Loss of focusing accommodation
- Deep anterior chamber (anterior chamber will be deep since lens is absent)
Causes of aphakia:
The surgery for cataracts is the main cause of aphakia. There are also some causes of aphakia. They are:
- Aphakia after cataract surgery
- Spontaneous absorption of lens
- Genetic defect
- Injuries
- Dislocation of lens
Diagnosis of Aphakia:
A qualified eye doctor will must check your previous medical history. He can also examine your iris, cornea, anterior chamber, fundus, and retina. This eye examination is performed by your doctor to determine the visual acuity.
A standard ophthalmic exam is performed to diagnosis your aphakia.
Aphakia treatment:
- In case of treating this problem, doctor usually performs a surgery for both adults and children.
- While performing this surgery the surgeon removes the damaged lens and implants an artificial lens. The surgeon uses local anesthesia to complete the surgery. This surgery may take less than an hour to complete.
- Usually doctor suggests artificial lens implantation, or refractive corneal surgeries. After the surgery he may suggest you to wear contact lenses or glasses to improve your vision.
Complications of aphakia:
After the surgery some possible complications may be seen. The possible complications of aphakia is described here:
- Aphakic glaucoma
- Retinal detachment
- Aphakic bullous keratopathy
- Spectacle intolerance
- Vitreous detachment
Aphakic glaucoma
Any type of eye surgery increases the risk of glaucoma. The optic nerve is damaged due to the pressure created inside the eye and then this problem can occur.
Glaucoma can lead to permanent loss of vision if not treated properly. After undergoing any type of eye surgery, you should regularly consult an experienced doctor to check for glaucoma and follow the necessary instructions by doing an eye examination.
Retinal detachment
Most patients have a risk of developing individual retinas after surgical treatment. The retina contains visual receptors. Its job is to convert images into electrical impulses, which are transmitted to the brain.
Color blindness, blurry vision, and the loss of peripheral vision are the main symptoms of detached retina.
Aphakic bullous keratopathy
Aphakic bullous keratopathy is also known as Pseudophakic Bullous Keratopathy. “Aphakic eye” indicates the patients without any lens in the eye. Aphakic bullous keratopathy refers to the development of irreversible corneal edema. It is a complication of cataract surgery.
Spectacle intolerance
The common complaints of spectacle intolerance are:
- Vision not clear at arms-length.
- Head ache
- Eye ache
- Reading Distance too short
- Ill-fitting frames
- Awkward head position
- Diplopia
Vitreous detachment
Vitreous detachment is a condition in which the vitreous separates from the retina. The vitreous humor is a gel-like substance. It fills the inside of our eye. It is generally attached to the retina.
As the increasing of age, the vitreous slowly shrinks, and the attached fibers pull on the retina’s surface. The vitreous shrinks further as the fibers break down. This can cause it to detach from the retina, causing a vitreous to rupture. (aphakia ppt)
