Dr Yousuf Al-Dhafiri

By Abdullatif Sharaa

KUWAIT: Ophthalmologist at the Health Ministry Dr Yousuf Al-Dhafiri said he published a study in the British Biomed medical magazine proving the efficacy of ultrasound to treat eye pressure during the cataract removal procedure. Dhafiri said in a press statement that he carried out a study with 60 patients in Kuwait - ultrasound was used during cataract removal for 30 of them, while the removal for 30 others was done without the use of ultrasound. All patients were suffering from open angle glaucoma.

Dhafiri said the research continued for two years and eye pressure was checked with and without the use of eye drops. During the monitoring period, it was proven that for patients for whom ultrasound was used to treat eye pressure while removing the cataract, their eye pressure dropped significantly. Most of them did not even use eye drops anymore. Dhafiri advised the use of ultrasound and removal of cataract in one procedure, so patients can benefit in the long run, while the use of glaucoma eye drops, which cause damage to the optical nerve, can be reduced.