My mom had cataracts surgery, a cat scan and lumbar punch, but still can't see. What could the real problem be?

My Moms problem is her Dementia. Seems like the back of your head if effected by a stroke, causes sight problems. Mom was further tested for this, no stroke. She was further tested for glaucoma, oK there. Diabetes will effect how you heal after cateract surgery. My Dad lost sight in one eye after surgery. He ended up having a Cornia transplant. Was your Mom good about putting her drops in?

My aunt was in her late 90s when she had both of her cataracts removed in separate surgeries..

Prior to the surgery, the doctor in the long term care facility said that she was not a candidate for cataract surgery because she had macular degeneration. My aunt asked me to take her to another opthamologist outside the facility. That doctor said that she was a candidate for the surgery, but that the macular degeneration could prevent the surgery from being a success. The doctor said that the only way that they would know would be to have the surgery.

My aunt chose to have the surgery and it was a total success. She was able to see better than she had been able to see for many years.

Did your mom have macular degeneration?

When my father in law had cataract surgery when he was in his 80s, he totally lost sight in the first eye that he had the surgery. The cause for that blindness was that his retina had become detached after the surgery. Subsequent surgery to re-attach the retina was unsuccessful.

Your mom and you deserve straight answers from her doctors. Don't let them off the hook. (I took care of both my mom and my aunt when they were in their "golden years". Be diplomatic with the doctors, but don't let them off the hook for answers.)

Best wishes.

... the problem (dratted accidental return key, sorry).

Sounds like you're not getting 'straight answers' because the doctors don't know yet.

Sounds like part of the problem might be that your doctors aren't explaining things well. The cataract surgery should have corrected any problems with focusing, but usually wouldn't affect color vision. The cat scan and lumbar puncture are both diagnostic tests -- they wouldn't do anything to 'fix

What has her ophthalmologist suggested could be the problem? Or is she being seen by an optometrist?

You might also ask the ophthalmologist about seeing a specialist at an eye clinic; we have a few in Michigan and they're very specialized.

What kind of doctors has she been seeing, and who's managing treatment for her vision? If they're not giving you "straight answers", can you find out what the issues are? Do they not have a specific Dx or suspicion of what's happening.

This must be very frustrating for both of you.

Dear Hermia,

Sorry to hear what is happening with your mom. Could your mom have macular degeneration? My dad was a smoker his whole life. After cataract surgery he still could not see out of his one eye unless he looked sideways, it was due to macular degeneration. Could your mom get an MRI? Did she suffer a brainstem stroke? That could also affect her vision. I would seek out a second and third opinion if necessary. I hope you can find the right treatment for your mom.