4 ms·

Slightly worrying given that I had a cataract operation in my mid-30s. OTOH, I suspect I should be far more worried about the health impact of filthy diesel.

michaelcampbell 8y ago
Isn't cataract surgery removing something, only? FWIW, both my parents had cataracts removed, and my father who'd worn eyeglasses since the 1940's said he'd never seen better in his life. So, chin up.
- Invictus0 8y ago
  Yes, but the article says that the instruments used in opthalmology can be vectors for the prions. OP is fine though assuming his operation was more than a year ago and he's not currently dead.
  - armitron 8y ago
    Prion diseases have incubation periods that are very long (5 to 20 years). It is only after symptoms appear that the end is near (a year or less).
  - Ma8ee 8y ago
    The year is from the onset of the first symptoms. It said nothing about incubation period.
  - erichurkman 8y ago
    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11721058?dopt=Abstract https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11721058?dopt=Abstract > we estimate that the mean duration of the incubation period is 16.7 years https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(06)69362-8/fulltext https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6... > A comprehensive statistical analysis had earlier reported that the mean incubation period was between 10.3 and 13.2 years, but the tail of the distribution was long. Using these estimates, we calculated that the upper 0.4% quantile was 40 years, and even larger for those infected young (>50 years), very much in line with these new observations.
  - arkades 8y ago
    No, it quoted the speculation. > them may then become contaminated, the authors write. They recommend single-use instruments or the adoption of new decontamination procedures for opthalmological equipment with better effectiveness on prions.
- kbutler 8y ago
  cataract surgery involves replacing the lens with a new lens, now generally an artificial lens https://www.allaboutvision.com/conditions/cataract-surgery.htm https://www.allaboutvision.com/conditions/cataract-surgery.h...
- growlist 8y ago
  Sadly I'm blind in that eye - the operation was to allow better monitoring. Other eye is fine, fingers crossed.
paulpauper 8y ago
the odds of this are about zero. the donor would have to have CJD, which is already exceedingly rare.
- growlist 8y ago
  It's the surgical instruments I was thinking of. But yes, the risk being exceedingly low was kind of my point when mentioning diesel exhaust - a single lungful of which causes my chest to tighten up!

michaelcampbell 8y ago

Isn't cataract surgery removing something, only? FWIW, both my parents had cataracts removed, and my father who'd worn eyeglasses since the 1940's said he'd never seen better in his life. So, chin up.

Invictus0 8y ago
Yes, but the article says that the instruments used in opthalmology can be vectors for the prions. OP is fine though assuming his operation was more than a year ago and he's not currently dead.
- armitron 8y ago
  Prion diseases have incubation periods that are very long (5 to 20 years). It is only after symptoms appear that the end is near (a year or less).
- Ma8ee 8y ago
  The year is from the onset of the first symptoms. It said nothing about incubation period.
- erichurkman 8y ago
  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11721058?dopt=Abstract https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11721058?dopt=Abstract > we estimate that the mean duration of the incubation period is 16.7 years https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(06)69362-8/fulltext https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6... > A comprehensive statistical analysis had earlier reported that the mean incubation period was between 10.3 and 13.2 years, but the tail of the distribution was long. Using these estimates, we calculated that the upper 0.4% quantile was 40 years, and even larger for those infected young (>50 years), very much in line with these new observations.
- arkades 8y ago
  No, it quoted the speculation. > them may then become contaminated, the authors write. They recommend single-use instruments or the adoption of new decontamination procedures for opthalmological equipment with better effectiveness on prions.
kbutler 8y ago
cataract surgery involves replacing the lens with a new lens, now generally an artificial lens https://www.allaboutvision.com/conditions/cataract-surgery.htm https://www.allaboutvision.com/conditions/cataract-surgery.h...
growlist 8y ago
Sadly I'm blind in that eye - the operation was to allow better monitoring. Other eye is fine, fingers crossed.

paulpauper 8y ago

the odds of this are about zero. the donor would have to have CJD, which is already exceedingly rare.

growlist 8y ago
It's the surgical instruments I was thinking of. But yes, the risk being exceedingly low was kind of my point when mentioning diesel exhaust - a single lungful of which causes my chest to tighten up!