Research and Describe What Cataract Eye Surgery Entails (Essay Sample)

Cataract Eye Surgery
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Institution
Cataract Eye Surgery
Sight is one of the most important senses in humans as it gives one the ability to see what is happening around them and are independent as they can drive, walk around, and watch television at ease. On the other hand, blind people sometimes find it difficult to move around without assistance and most people who go blind after having the ability to see, find it difficult to accept their status. Some types of blindness are reversible as a patient can be operated on and have their sight restored. Cataract is the part of the eye that is concerned with creating and renewing the lens of the eye and it is sometimes impaired as it develops a form of cloud and the cloud blocks one's vision. The condition mostly affects old people due to age, but it rarely occurs in newborn children (Begley, 2016). For a long time, surgery has been used to remove the cloud in the eye and one's vision is restored. Lately, scientists have been researching on ways to remove the cloud on the eye and to make the eye lens to grow again. Research has been done on animals and infants with the condition, and their sight was restored using the stem cell technology. The research had been carried out for eight months and seemed safe as the doctors who carried it out reported. However, there were concerns over the period that this research has been conducted as experts termed it as a short time and the amount of time that the doctors had done follow up on patients who undergone the operation. In addition to this, other doctors questioned the amount that one would have to pay for the operation in case the procedure got approved, as stem cell technology is expensive to develop (Begley, 2016). The stem cell cataract technology would sure change the lives of many if it went through. The central ethical issue of the story is whether stem cell contract surgery should be done due to its high cost and if the short period that the experiment has been carried out is enough to guarantee that the operation is safe.
The cataract eye surgery is mostly on the cost of the procedure and the time that the experiment has been conducted. Medical experiments take years to complete and to be sure that they are safe for humans and not just animals that are used for the experiment. The experiment had just been conducted for eight months, and that is not enough to term it as safe. Children and animals have been used to conduct research, and this has not been extended to the old who are likely to get the condition more than the young children do. The follow-up time of patients who had undergone the procedure also come out as an issue of concern as doctors who observed said that the follow up done was short. The next most important thing that comes up is the amount of money that a patient would have to pay for the surgery. Most patients with the condition would have to abstain from having the procedure being done on them, as it is very expensive. Many patients who develop the condition are not rich enough to afford the expense of the life changing procedure. A patient has a right to treatment, and the procedure is giving a good option of treating blindness and giving the lens time to grow back naturally. This case might be argued that it does not matter the amount of money that one has to spend to get their health back as one's wellbeing cannot be compared to any amount of money (Cheung & Sandramouli, 2005). It might also be argued as ok to term the experiment as safe despite the short time it had been conducted as it had been proved to work and no major obstacles had been encountered.
Every person has a right to good health, and blind patients who could have their sight restored should be operated on to make sure that they get their health back irrespective of their financial status (Sandel, 2011). More people whose blind condition can be restored should have the operation done on them. Less blind people means that more people are independent and can normally live like everyone else. I believe that stem cell surgery should be conducted so that it can help restore health. The experiment should be conducted mostly on old people rather than on infants as it is more common in older people than in children. Before it is termed as safe and successful, the research should be done on, different groups of old people with the condition of a cloudy lens. The cost of the operation should not be a hindrance from conducting the experiment, as there are people who can afford the tests. Those who cannot afford can have their insurance companies, friends, and families chip in to have the procedures done. Governments should also come in and cater for procedures to be done on their citizens. The doctor...