Cataract Surgery

[kenny]

It's time.
Anyone had it?
Wanna talk about it?

 

[missy]

I’m having cataract surgery in November. Right eye. I’m getting a toric iol with laser assist surgery. I’m not going to lie. I’m nervous and I’m in the eye field.

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

Gary has had one eye done, its not the normal cateracts, his was caused by long tern use of steriod eye drops due to eye prolems with sarcodosis
but its wonderful
its practially instant
i think catcatrct day must be the best place in the hospital to work, it certainlky is at our hospital
everyone is so happy afterwards, its day surgery and you go back in the afternoon to the eye clinic and you see all the people who were in the waiting room from the morning
everyone is smiling and happy and chatt, not just the patinet but the support person too
@kenny and @missy all will be good

 

[missy]

Gary has had one eye done, its not the normal cateracts, his was caused by long tern use of steriod eye drops due to eye prolems with sarcodosis
but its wonderful
its practially instant
i think catcatrct day must be the best place in the hospital to work, it certainlky is at our hospital
everyone is so happy afterwards, its day surgery and you go back in the afternoon to the eye clinic and you see all the people who were in the waiting room from the morning
everyone is smiling and happy and chatt, not just the patinet but the support person too
@kenny and @missy all will be good

Glad it went well for Gary!
I’m nervous because I’m very myopic and have a family history of retinal detachment. Cataract surgery unfortunately increases the risk of RD. Thank you for your comforting words Nicky

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

Glad it went well for Gary!
I’m nervous because I’m very myopic and have a family history of retinal detachment. Cataract surgery unfortunately increases the risk of RD. Thank you for your comforting words Nicky

i would say try and just be a nervouse patient and try to forget some of what you know, i am 100% a laymen but im sure RD is rear (and they can fix it)
and im sure in NYC they have the best eye doctors in the world

just focus on how wonderful it is going to be being able to see well again
Gary said it was instant, he could see all the details on the clock in the OR once the lens sent on

he has to go to the eye dept tomorrow as we are still waiting on the other eye

 

[rcjtraveler]

DH just had both eyes done about a month apart. He is very happy with the results. Took several days to see clearly. Noticeable improvement in the colors he sees. Had a wrinkle on one retina with higher risk of complications, but all went well. Had to take eye drops for several months which we didn’t realize ahead of time. Best of luck with your surgery.

 

[marymm]

My MIL & FIL both had cataract surgery when they were in their 70s and it went great -- both were very happy and wished they had done it sooner.

My then-82-year-old mom (who has been on replacement corticosteroids for over 40 years due to removal of both adrenal glands) had very good success with her right eye cataract surgery (which took just about 15 minutes), but the left eye turned out to be much trickier (thicker brittle cataract) and involved retinal detachment -- she ended up having 2 surgeries on her left eye -- her recovery was difficult -- she is blind in that eye which now (4 years later) has turned white and shrunk a bit.

My mom has a complicated medical history so it was not surprising that this was her experience -- while the overall decline in vision has affected her quality of life, she can still see with her left eye with prescription glasses for distance and for reading (together with with enlarging the font on her Kindle and her computer).

Kenny, you are much younger than my mom and I believe in a much better state of health -- I wish you an uneventful and successful cataract surgery.

 

[lyra]

My husband had both done a couple of years ago. No problems. Had a choice of different lenses that made it easy to choose. Recovery time was 3 months? To return to work. He still has to use glasses for close up things. It was part of the choice he made in the lenses.

 

[Madam Bijoux]

I had it in 2015. My eyesight is 100% better.

 

[NonieMarie]

I had both done at the same time. My share $250 for both eyes, Medicare. I was very nervous but the meds worked great. Wearing the taped sleep clear covers for the next week wasn't bad either. My eyes were scratchy for weeks after but all healed now.

 

[VRBeauty]

My husband had both eyes done about three years ago with zero problems. I’m going to be ready for cataract surgery soon, and I’m looking forward to it. You should be aware that you may need to make decisions though about whether to give up good near range vision (if you have it - ie if you’re near-sighted) in favor of better distance vision.

He got vision - correcting lens implants, but still wears glasses (which he doesn’t mind). His implanted lenses provide both good distance and near vision, but aren’t optimized for either. As a pilot, he especially appreciates good distance vision. The additional external lenses give him killer distance vision and very good near vision. By the way, his surgeon did not discuss these options with him before the surgery. Apparently “good enough but not perfect” for both is the default.

I’m getting close to needing cataract surgery, and I know I’ll have to make that decision too. When I had lasik surgery done 12 years ago, I got mono vision correction: one eye optimized for distance, the other for near vision. (I’d had mono vision correction in contact lenses for years so I knew I wouldn’t have a problem adapting.) I really like that I can still thread a needle or read a book without glasses! Now that my far distance vision is suffering due to age-related deterioration, I’m realizing that I may value my distance vision more acute near vision - and of course that would be most helpful when I’m in the passenger seat of our little plane - so I’ll probably opt for the best possible far vision, and resign myself to having lots of reading glasses laying around the house!

Anyhow, you might want to discuss this question with your optometrist or surgeon before the surgery.

 

[seafarm]

I did not have cataracts (so, sadly not covered by Medicare) but I had lens replacement - PRELEX (Presbyopic Lens Exchange), several years ago because I did not like wearing contacts/glasses.

I had a choice between multi focal lenses (no need for glasses for reading) or the single vision lenses (good mid and distance vision but may require glasses for reading). I chose the multi focal.

I do get ‘halos’ in certain lighting, but over time I have become used to them. Lenses may have changed since then, my surgery was about eight years ago.

I was very nervous about the surgery but there was no need to be. I had both eyes done at the same time and it was all over in about 20 minutes. A mild sedative was used but I was coherent enough to know what was going on, and I walked in and out of surgery.

After taking the protective eye covers off that night to apply gel, I had perfect vision. The most annoying thing were the eye drops several times per day for approximately six weeks.

Enjoy your ’new’ eyes @kenny you won’t look back!!

 

[AprilBaby]

I hate anything to do with the eyes. I have “ baby” cataracts that will have to be done in the next 10 years. Will be following as I think I would have panic attack day of.

 

[kenny]

Long-post ...

Thanks all for the support and good wishes, and all the best to PS members anticipating cataract surgery.

My surgery, left eye only, was originally scheduled for next week.
But at my pre-op appointment last week my surgeon told me that doing the left and right eyes at separate times wouldn't work for me, for reasons I'll get to soon.
For that reason she can authorize the insurance to pay to also do the right eye, which (itself) doesn't yet need replacement.

Apparently the so-called all-distance focus lenses are not always successful, and you'll have to wear glasses anyway for the distances at which you can't focus well.
Also they can result in seeing halos or clouds around oncoming car headlights or any other specular highlight.

Some folks can tolerate that - but I'm certain that would drive me crazy, especially since those all-distance lenses add several thousands to my copay.
So I'm going with the standard lenses.

My surgeon asked me to rank my focus priorities, so I get the lenses that work best for my lifestyle:
* Distance (something a full-time truck driver should opt for)
* Arm's length (computer work or reading the music at a piano)
* Very close, (reading a book or threading a needle, doing fine detail work up close)

My focus priorities are:
1st: Arm's length for computer screens
2nd: Very close, since I paint photo-realistic watercolors
3rd: Distance - since I drive very little

That means the lenses they install will make me nearsighted, so I'll wear glasses only for distance.
So instead of wearing glasses all day, it will be only for driving.

My surgeon told me I'm naturally farsighted with prescriptions around +2.5 and if they make only the left eye nearsighted (IOW installing a lens in left eye with a negative RX number while I'm waiting maybe-years for right eye surgery) the brain won't be able to align the images it gets from the two eyes for a reason that surprised me ...

Besides correcting for focus at various distances, a positive Rx number makes an object you're looking at smaller, where as a negative-Rx number makes it larger... or maybe I have that backwards.
Apparently the brain cannot combine two images of the same thing if they are not close enough to being the same size.

So, she established a medical justification for getting both eyes done at the same time, which I have agreed to.
But the surgery appointment I already had for next week was at a location that will do only one eye at a time. GRRR!
Now I'm waiting for an appointment at another surgery location that does both.

Whew!

It has been encouraging to read of all the happy success stories in this thread.
Thanks again, all.
Your support has calmed much of my anxiety about this very invasive procedure.

 

[rcjtraveler]

Long-post ...

Thanks all for the support and good wishes, and all the best to PS members anticipating cataract surgery.

My surgery, left eye only, was originally scheduled for next week.
But at my pre-op appointment last week my surgeon told me that doing the left and right eyes at separate times wouldn't work for me, for reasons I'll get to soon.
For that reason she can authorize the insurance to pay to also do the right eye, which (itself) doesn't yet need replacement.

Apparently the so-called all-distance focus lenses are not always successful, and you'll have to wear glasses anyway for the distances at which you can't focus well.
Also they can result in seeing halos or clouds around oncoming car headlights or any other specular highlight.

Some folks can tolerate that - but I'm certain that would drive me crazy, especially since those all-distance lenses add several thousands to my copay.
So I'm going with the standard lenses.

My surgeon asked me to rank my focus priorities, so I get the lenses that work best for my lifestyle:
* Distance (something a full-time truck driver should opt for)
* Arm's length (computer work or reading the music at a piano)
* Very close, (reading a book or threading a needle, doing fine detail work up close)

My focus priorities are:
1st: Arm's length for computer screens
2nd: Very close, since I paint photo-realistic watercolors
3rd: Distance - since I drive very little

That means the lenses they install will make me nearsighted, so I'll wear glasses only for distance.
So instead of wearing glasses all day, it will be only for driving.

My surgeon told me I'm naturally farsighted with prescriptions around +2.5 and if they make only the left eye nearsighted (IOW installing a lens in left eye with a negative RX number while I'm waiting maybe-years for right eye surgery) the brain won't be able to align the images it gets from the two eyes for a reason that surprised me ...

Besides correcting for focus at various distances, a positive Rx number makes an object you're looking at smaller, where as a negative-Rx number makes it larger... or maybe I have that backwards.
Apparently the brain cannot combine two images of the same thing if they are not close enough to being the same size.

So, she established a medical justification for getting both eyes done at the same time, which I have agreed to.
But the surgery appointment I already had for next week was at a location that will do only one eye at a time. GRRR!
Now I'm waiting for an appointment at another surgery location that does both.

Whew!

It has been encouraging to read of all the happy success stories in this thread.
Thanks again, all.
Your support has calmed much of my anxiety about this very invasive procedure.

Best of luck with your surgery. Sending positive thoughts for successful procedures!

 

[Jambalaya]

This is an interesting thread.

Wishing everyone luck with their surgery! Sorry you have to get both done at the same time, Kenny. I think I'd prefer one at a time too. But at least you get it all over with at once!

Forty years ago, in a country that's less advanced than America, my almost-blind grandad had surgery for severe cataracts, and it didn't make any difference. Thank goodness we have surgery that's a million times better these days, and all these incredible lenses! Anything to do with eyes is icky and terrifying, but you know what's worse than eye surgery? Not having eye surgery! (Or having crappy eye surgery that doesn't work.)

Good luck, all!

 

[arkieb1]

I hope everything goes well for you. A number of years ago I had laser surgery to correct my vision. It gave me perfect vision up close and mid range but at night at a distance when it is dark, it was blurry and had the weird effect of halos and bright white lights blurring so I don't drive at night at all.

Regardless it was the best thing ever, I could see clearly in the range I wanted, and it has lasted decades. Be aware you will need lots of drops and your eyes will be scratchy and sensitive to things like wind, strong sunlight, bright lights etc for some time (took me two years or more) afterwards.

 

[lambskin]

Keep us posted Kenny. Good luck!

 

[AdaBeta27]

I had both eyes done about 3 years ago, more because my nearsightedness became galloping and uncorrectable with glasses. A lens Rx didn't last more than 30 days. I resorted to contact lenses for the last 45 days while waiting for surgery. I had minimal ( almost no) astigmatism, and I'd found toric contact lenses offered no advantage whatsoever. Also, my doctor advised me that drivers, pilots, and hunters had found the multifocal lenses sorely lacking at best and downright detriments to good night vision more often than not. Dr. said he's actually removed multifocal implants from many people who decided that they needed crisper vision, and installed monofocal lenses. Based on those things, I opted for the plain multifocal lenses, and I have to use reader glasses for reading and close work. But my night visions and my and daytime long distance vision is razor sharp. No halos, no rings, no smears. I had 20/15 in my dominant eye 2 weeks post-op and 20/20 in the other eye. Years later, I still feel like I can see to the next county. I got a prescription pair of reader glasses for desk work. They help when my eyes or I are really tired. Most of the time, cheap readers from Dollar Tree or drugstores are perfectly adequate. I use Systane night ointment whenever I notice my focus starts to degrade a bit. And moisturizing eye drops at other times. Focus happens on the surface of your eye, it was explained to me, so if you've had cataract surgery and lost some of that crisp focus over time, it's probably just dry eye and try the night ointment and some occasional heavier moisturizing drops once a day and that should clear it right up. ymmv

Oh, yeah, I almost forgot: The implants I have make me expremely color sentitive to tints in diamonds. I can pick up the slightest bit of yellow and can distinguish between D /E /F readily now. The really weird thing, though, is how all of my old original C&C moissanites from 2004-2008 or so appear a fluorescent olive green color in sunlight, and often look N-P yellow color at other times. Indoors, at night , they look near colorless. It's evidently a bizarre interaction between the lens implant material and the old type moissanite rough, I presume, because absolutely nobody else sees this tint issue. My C&C stones aren't green or yellow, everyone else says. And when I photograph those stones, they look no worse than I/J on the camera screen and in the photos. Crazy!

 

[AdaBeta27]

A caution about lenses and color perception, for those who might be getting just one eye done now, then maybe the second not until years later: I read a story about an artist who had the second eye done years after the 1st. She received a different lens implant, the colors her eyes saw didn't match, and she ended up having to get the first eye redone. They give you cards after surgery with the specs of your lens implants. Keep track of those.

 

[kenny]

Thanks for such helpful info, AdaBeta.

 

[missy]

Long-post ...

Thanks all for the support and good wishes, and all the best to PS members anticipating cataract surgery.

My surgery, left eye only, was originally scheduled for next week.
But at my pre-op appointment last week my surgeon told me that doing the left and right eyes at separate times wouldn't work for me, for reasons I'll get to soon.
For that reason she can authorize the insurance to pay to also do the right eye, which (itself) doesn't yet need replacement.

Apparently the so-called all-distance focus lenses are not always successful, and you'll have to wear glasses anyway for the distances at which you can't focus well.
Also they can result in seeing halos or clouds around oncoming car headlights or any other specular highlight.

Some folks can tolerate that - but I'm certain that would drive me crazy, especially since those all-distance lenses add several thousands to my copay.
So I'm going with the standard lenses.

My surgeon asked me to rank my focus priorities, so I get the lenses that work best for my lifestyle:
* Distance (something a full-time truck driver should opt for)
* Arm's length (computer work or reading the music at a piano)
* Very close, (reading a book or threading a needle, doing fine detail work up close)

My focus priorities are:
1st: Arm's length for computer screens
2nd: Very close, since I paint photo-realistic watercolors
3rd: Distance - since I drive very little

That means the lenses they install will make me nearsighted, so I'll wear glasses only for distance.
So instead of wearing glasses all day, it will be only for driving.

My surgeon told me I'm naturally farsighted with prescriptions around +2.5 and if they make only the left eye nearsighted (IOW installing a lens in left eye with a negative RX number while I'm waiting maybe-years for right eye surgery) the brain won't be able to align the images it gets from the two eyes for a reason that surprised me ...

Besides correcting for focus at various distances, a positive Rx number makes an object you're looking at smaller, where as a negative-Rx number makes it larger... or maybe I have that backwards.
Apparently the brain cannot combine two images of the same thing if they are not close enough to being the same size.

So, she established a medical justification for getting both eyes done at the same time, which I have agreed to.
But the surgery appointment I already had for next week was at a location that will do only one eye at a time. GRRR!
Now I'm waiting for an appointment at another surgery location that does both.

Whew!

It has been encouraging to read of all the happy success stories in this thread.
Thanks again, all.
Your support has calmed much of my anxiety about this very invasive procedure.

Hey Kenny good luck with your surgeries. I too have decided to do both eyes but here they will only do one at a time. So I’m doing one next week and the other eye 9 days later. Wishing you successful surgeries.

 

[kenny]

Thanks missy.
All the best on your outcome too.

I go 'under the knife' later this month.
I feel at ease though since I love my eye doctor/surgeon, and she's done 3,000 of these.

 

[AdaBeta27]

I don't see any downside to getting both eyes done at once. I had no complications nor discomfort afterward. Mine were done two weeks apart, but I just walked out of the hospital with immediate 20/15 vision and no difficulties whatsoever, both times.

But if your capsules later grow cells and start to turn cloudy, you need to get them lasered out. HO BOY! is THAT ever an uncomfortable experience!! The laser feels like something is hitting your skull. It's a big "snap" that you both hear and feel. And you can't see a damned thing out of that eye for hours afterward. You'll wonder if you've gone permanently blind in one eye, the first time. It's very unpleasant, and they can definitely only do one eye at a time. It's generally a problem only for younger cataract patients. I had to have both eyes lasered, about 2 years apart. You need a driver to take you home.

 

[luv2sparkle]

Best of luck with your surgery, Kenny. I have cataracts just starting. I will need it eventually too. Hope all goes will for you.

 

[jeaniefish]

Missy and Kenny,
Best of luck to you . Having confidence in your doctor is half the battle. I will be dealing with cataract surgery next year too. Looking forward to hearing about positive outcomes from both of you.

 

[AprilBaby]

After seeing the specialist I am now scheduled for both eyes to be done 2 weeks apart right after Christmas. I have excellent near vision but I’m getting the distant lens. I worry about not being able to read properly after. Also, what about the two week period when 1 eye is done. How do I see with my glasses? The right will be corrected but the left I still need them on., so the right will be too stong?

 

[fussykiki]

A caution about lenses and color perception, for those who might be getting just one eye done now, then maybe the second not until years later: I read a story about an artist who had the second eye done years after the 1st. She received a different lens implant, the colors her eyes saw didn't match, and she ended up having to get the first eye redone. They give you cards after surgery with the specs of your lens implants. Keep track of those.

Oh... I don't where are mine. But I got both eyes done within months, so I guess I am okay?

 

[fussykiki]

I don't see any downside to getting both eyes done at once. I had no complications nor discomfort afterward. Mine were done two weeks apart, but I just walked out of the hospital with immediate 20/15 vision and no difficulties whatsoever, both times.

But if your capsules later grow cells and start to turn cloudy, you need to get them lasered out. HO BOY! is THAT ever an uncomfortable experience!! The laser feels like something is hitting your skull. It's a big "snap" that you both hear and feel. And you can't see a damned thing out of that eye for hours afterward. You'll wonder if you've gone permanently blind in one eye, the first time. It's very unpleasant, and they can definitely only do one eye at a time. It's generally a problem only for younger cataract patients. I had to have both eyes lasered, about 2 years apart. You need a driver to take you home.

I did the laser thingy like two months ago but have no problem seeing stuff afterward. But yes, it was uncomfortable, coz they tried to secure the eyeball from moving by pressing a lens on it. I was able to go back to work after the procedure. I am 44. Did the cataract surgery for both eyes when I was 42.

 

[fussykiki]

Missy and Kenny,
Best of luck to you . Having confidence in your doctor is half the battle. I will be dealing with cataract surgery next year too. Looking forward to hearing about positive outcomes from both of you.

I have done mine two years ago. The first thing I immediately noticed was how big my skin pores are. I guess my eye sight must be pretty bad pre-surgery. Haha. Good luck to you, spend more time to discuss with your doctor to select the best lens for you.