By Lou Seminare
Club Correspondent

“The eye is one of surgery’s oldest interests. There are numerous references to cataracts and their treatment in the literature of many ancient civilizations. Perhaps the first is in the Code of Hammurabi (1750 B.C.), which includes a schedule of payments for the surgeon should sight be restored, along with the penalty of the removal of the surgeon’s fingers should the patient die or lose their eyes.” Konrad Pesudovs, Ph.D, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia.

It is estimated that that between 300,00 - 400,00 cases of visually disabling cataracts occur each year in the United States alone, and that between 1million to 1.5 million cataract extractions are performed annually in this country.

In 1997, The World Health Organization estimated that cataracts are responsible for 50 percent of the cases of blindness around the world, or 19 million people. By 2020 that figure is expected to rise to 50 million.

Cataracts are the result of the clouding of the natural crystalline lens; cataracts are the leading cause of visual loss in adults over age 60 and the number one cause of preventable blindness worldwide. The condition is the result of the natural aging process and metabolic changes, and can be caused by injury, various forms of radiation, toxic chemicals, and certain drugs.

Patients with cataracts often experience symptoms of blurring vision, glare, sensitivity to light, double vision, difficulty in reading, fading or yellowing of colors, and the most frequent complaint—declining night vision.

The corrective surgery for cataracts is one of the most popular and highly successful eye procedures. A recent study by the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery reported that vision improves in more than 98 percent following the procedure.

Brandermill Region Men’s Club is pleased to welcome Shantaram Talegaonkar, M.D., M.S., F.R.C.S., F.A.C.S. as its distinguished guest speaker at its December 3 meeting at The Brandermill Church at 10 a.m.

Dr. Talegaonkar will discuss the evolution of cataract surgery. Dr. Talegaonkar will also discuss the technological strides in cataract surgery developed in the recent past and those projected for the near future.

Dr. Talegaonkar is a practicing ophthalmologist at the Virginia Eye Institute. He received his basic medical education in India, and conducted post-graduate and post-doctoral training in the United Kingdom. Completing a Fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, he joined the National Health System and later worked at the University of Connecticut as a visiting clinical fellow in ophthalmology. He was board certified by the American Board of Ophthalmology in 1976.

Brandermill Region Men’s Club meetings are held at The Brandermill Church at 10 a.m. on the first Thursday of each month, September through June. The meetings are preceded by
refreshments at 9:15 a.m. Those interested in learning more about the club are encouraged to visit the club’s website at BRMConline.org or attend a meeting as a guest of the club. All are welcome.