Should a 95 year old get cataract surgery?

I am not american, neither living in the US. My mom is 83, has dementia and several falls with fractures in the past. However she recovered in some extent. She suffered from cataracts for long, but still she could see, helping with glasses. At some point her sight was really bad, she couldn't read or watch tv. This was quite bas as added to the falling risks. Some of her insurance Drs adviced against surgery (because of her age, dementia, and postoperative protocol), as they are instructed to do so, to minimize patients costs. We had to pay a private Dr to undergo the surgery. He thought he could manage with local anesthesia (we feared anesthesia effects, as previous experiences were not good), but she moved during the surgery and wanted to leave, so Dr had to use total anesthesia, and the surgery complicated, as the eye eye capsule was torn when she moved. The recovery was a nightmare, and she suffered from macular edema (a side effect of cataract surgery, specially when it complicates), that didn't respond to treatment (plus drugs caused side effects, so had to be discontinued). At the end the edema solved by itself (almost a year after surgery), and she recovered the vision (not perfect, but much better than without surgery). Then she went for the second eyes, this one was planned with total anesthesia, and results where quite good. Even with all the problems I am very satisfied with results, my mom can read again (without glasses!), and watch tv. However, besides dementia, she does not have much health problems.

I think if he wants surgery to go ahead.

Thank you all for sharing your thoughts. I think that as long as I'm sure he understands the risks, I can certainly support his choice.

try ethosheaven bright eyes drops for cataracts

If I was the 95 year old person and knew I could safely have cataract surgery, I would go for it. It would be fantastic to be able to see again :) And especially with severe hearing loss, one would need their eyes to help communicate by being able to write.

I don't have personal experience, but that's never stopped me from having an opinion. If your dad wants it done, the surgeon thinks there's a high likelihood of success and it's relatively safe, I'd support him.

This is a quality of life issue. He's already hard of hearing and gradually losing his eyesight. If there are risks? They are worth it, in my opinion.

Mom had cataracts removed at age 93. It was successful for her. It has allowed her to continue doing crosswords and to read magazines.

My husband had his done in his 80s (he had dementia). It made a HUGE difference in his ability to read and watch videos.

The eye-drop schedule for 4 weeks after each eye is burdensome. Is your dad somewhere where this could be done for him?

Mom was 85, with CHF, A-fib and cataracts plus glaucoma. She got one cataract fixed, but the surgery aggravated the glaucoma and the glaucoma blew a hole in the retina. Retinal surgery followed, also not successful.
They made lots of money on the surgeries; she is now blind in that eye.