When is cataract surgery not recommended?

I went through this recently with my mother - who has moderate dementia. In the end the eye specialist deemed my mother an unfit candidate for surgery due to her level of dementia. He said that there were things that were required both prior to and post surgery- such as an eye drops for several days- that he felt she would be unable follow. In addition, he worried that mom would forget and pick at or rub her eyes after surgery.

My mom had cataract surgery on both her eyes and did very well, however, I'm not sure what kind of anesthesia they used. Since having dementia come into our family with my cousin, I look at general anesthesia very differently now.

What type do they say they would use for your dad? I'm very wary of general anesthesia on seniors. It can worsen dementia. I'd discuss that with his doctor. I'd investigate and see what the follow up care is like. Is your dad able to follow instructions? Some dementia patients forget and could injure their eye after surgery, since they may not know to not rub or poke at it. I'd ask his doctor questions to make sure it would be feasible for him.

If the surgery is quick and Dad's primary doctor says ok, I would think it would be a great benefit for your Dad. Even with dementia, your Dad might brighten up and start doing things.