TY - JOUR T1 - OCular surgery in the aged AU - Feldstein M, Kornzweig AL, Schneider J Y1 - 1959/08/01 N1 - 10.1001/jama.1959.03010140001001 JO - Journal of the American Medical Association SP - 1621 EP - 1625 VL - 170 IS - 14 N2 - The beneficial results of surgery were weighed against the risks in a review of 118 major eye operations on a series of patients from 65 to 94 years of age. Eighty-five operations were for cataract and 18 for glaucoma. Most patients had some form of circulatory disease, 19 had hernias, 16 had pulmonary emphysema, and 11 had diabetes. Nevertheless, there were only two deaths attributable to the operation. The declining years of many of these patients were immeasurably brightened by restoration of vision, which in some cases meant ability to carry on a reasonably self-sufficient and meaningful existence for many years without being a constant burden to others. Undue emphasis on the risks of operation can lead to the withholding of beneficial ocular surgery in the aged. SN - 0002-9955 M3 - doi: 10.1001/jama.1959.03010140001001 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/jama.1959.03010140001001 ER -