Cataract Surgery

[raysachs]

So this is probably old hat to a lot of folks around here. But for me, a real eye-opener (pun unavoidable).

I had cataract surgery on my right eye yesterday (sorry if I haven't been keeping up with some threads over the past few days). I'd known for a couple of years I had cataracts developing that would eventually require attention, and for the last year or so it was becoming increasingly obvious that the time had come more quickly than I'd hoped. My right eye was getting really REALLY fuzzy and my left eye was doing yeoman's duty keeping me functional. Went to the doc and he said my left eye had a pretty advanced cataract too, but the right eye was notably worse. I thought my left eye was doing GREAT.

So, did all the prep for a few days, the surgery was yesterday. It was a breeze - not worth the amount of fear and trepidation I'd given it. It's a real assembly line operation - they were wheeling us in and out at a furious pace during the couple hours I was there. They said they were doing about 20 of 'em yesterday, not a particularly heavy load, they said.

I went in about 11:30, was home by 2 and could tell right away that things had changed. A LOT. But my pupil was massively dilated so I couldn't see too well, was crazy light sensitive, and was seeing massive halos everywhere there was light. Went to sleep, woke up with my pupil back to normal, and MY GOD! I didn't realize how freakin' blind I'd gotten. My right eye is so freaking clear I can see things I'd totally lost touch with. Like myself in the mirror - I've gone and become a MESS. I'm way older than the last time I'd seen myself this clearly. Saw all of the skin blotches, the wild hairs coming out of hither and yon, how terribly the shower needs to be re-grouted, etc, etc. And the COLORS! I've been seeing a sepia toned 100 year old photographic version of life. Everything is so bright and vivid. Like this computer screen! And the vegetation outside.

And my left eye, which I've been relying on for EVERYTHING, is suddenly fuzzy and sepia toned and terrible. I thought it was so good, which it was in comparison. But now, the shoes are on the other eyes. So instead of waiting a couple years until the left one gets REALLY bad, I think I'm gonna have that one done in a couple months, once the right has fully healed.

I had not understood that when they remove a cataract, what they're removing is your entire lens! I thought they just took some milky film off of it and restored your natural lens to it's former glory. But no - that biological remnant is broken up and pulled out of there and a new plastic (or something) lens is put in it's place. So I have a whole new lens that will not age with me - I'm bionic!

I was thinking it was a drag I was having to have this done so early (I'm 62), but it turns out not to be that uncommon. And now I'm wishing I'd had it done way sooner! If anyone has been told this is on the horizon, don't wait, get it done. You won't believe the difference. They say everyone starts developing these around 40 and they become a problem anytime after that, for most folks from 60 years on. The deterioration is so slow we barely notice it. But when they fix it, it's INSTANTANEOUSLY better. In my case WAAAAY better. Don't wait, don't fear it. It's a piece of cake. The whole surgery takes about 8-10 minutes. Full recovery takes a few weeks, but the next day you're seeing like you haven't seen in years, maybe decades...

I may have to blow off the guitar for a few days and just go look around. There's a lot to see out there!

-Ray

[TomB'sox]

My SO is on the verge, what lens did you choose? If I am not mistaken you can elect to have 20:20 to see close up which it sounds like you did or a lens to allow 20:20 at a distance. They now make bifocal and trifocal lenses as well which have been getting better and better. The trifocal gives you vision near, far and intermediate with no manipulation of your head etc.

[Mr. Paul]

So glad you got a great result, Ray ... that seems to be the norm. My eye doc says I should be rooting for the small cataract I have to grow so I can get the surgery and be fixed! The cataract procedure has come a long long ways.

Cheers!

I had been near-sighted but opted to go long. So I now use glasses for reading and shop work but can see long distances. Its been 20 years since I had the surgery and it's looking like the lenses will outlast the rest of my body unless I get busy and start a whole bunch of transplanting (which isn't going to happen).

[Mr. Jelly]

Originally Posted by EvanB

I had been near-sighted but opted to go long. So I now use glasses for reading and shop work but can see long distances.

I went from near-sighted to far-sighted also. I still wear glasses though as I don't like fumbling around with my glasses all the time. Now I have to wear my glasses to shave. I used to see weird hairs and things on peoples faces when I talk to them and wonder if they ever look in the mirror. I get it now. They can't see close up. Personally I liked my vision before cataract surgery. and cataracts, better then afterwords. But it needed to be done.

[raysachs]

Originally Posted by TomB'sox

My SO is on the verge, what lens did you choose? If I am not mistaken you can elect to have 20:20 to see close up which it sounds like you did or a lens to allow 20:20 at a distance. They now make bifocal and trifocal lenses as well which have been getting better and better. The trifocal gives you vision near, far and intermediate with no manipulation of your head etc.

No, I got the monofocal set for distance. The good news is that my right eye, which is my dominant eye, needed very little correction with my glasses before the cataract - distance was almost neutral, so my progressive lenses were mostly reading glasses in my right eye. So I got the same thing. My current prescription glasses still work great for that eye - they may slightly tweak it at some point, but it's really good right off the bat.

When I get to my left eye, I'm not sure what I'm gonna do. I have an astigmatism in that eye and there are lenses that will correct for that, so I could get one that corrects that and is set for distance, and then I'd be good without glasses for distance and just need reading glasses. But I've been wearing glasses since I was about 20 and don't mind them in the least - I kind of like the eye protection and ability to just carry a little clip on set of sunglasses. So I may just get a standard lens in my left eye like I did in my right and just carry on wearing glasses and let the glasses handle the astigmatism.

These various specialty lenses get really expensive (and aren't covered by insurance) and my doc says that while they're getting better, they're still not as good as a regular monofocal lens, particularly for halos and other stuff like that. A standard monofocal lens and eyeglasses will leave me living like I have for 40 years but with MUCH better vision. I'll probably take that, and it's covered by my health insurance. Getting rid of my glasses was never part of my thought process - fixing my eyesight was.

-Ray

[raysachs]

Originally Posted by Mr. Jelly

I went from near-sighted to far-sighted also. I still wear glasses though as I don't like fumbling around with my glasses all the time. Now I have to wear my glasses to shave. I used to see weird hairs and things on peoples faces when I talk to them and wonder if they ever look in the mirror. I get it now. They can't see close up. Personally I liked my vision before cataract surgery. and cataracts, better then afterwords. But it needed to be done.

As I remember it (which is suspect - when they develop memory implants, I'm sure I'll be ready for those too), I liked my vision pre-cataracts too, but I like the post surgery version much better than it was getting with cataracts. And, as you say, those were the only two options available, so it had to be done.

-Ray

[raysachs]

Originally Posted by EvanB

I had been near-sighted but opted to go long. So I now use glasses for reading and shop work but can see long distances. Its been 20 years since I had the surgery and it's looking like the lenses will outlast the rest of my body unless I get busy and start a whole bunch of transplanting (which isn't going to happen).

As I was cogitating on this pre-surgery, I was thinking that once you die, your body breaks down in your casket. It used to just leave a skeleton, but now with post cataract lenses, you'd have a skeleton with two little lenses sitting in the eye sockets. Even spookier....

-Ray

[BrunoBlack]

I’ve had cataract surgery and found it was simple, quick and life-changing. I had a significant pterygium (result from many years working outdoors and too much beach time without sunglasses - called surfers eye) removed from one eye about 10 years ago and that surgery resulted in needing cataract surgery in that eye sooner. A couple of years ago, I had cataract surgery in the other eye. I got the single correction for distance and can see perfectly from 4-feet out. I use progressive lense glasses for reading and computer use.

[Hoyt]

As someone who could not see my hand 12" from my face, cataract surgery has been great. I now can see my feet in the shower. I don't have to reach for my glasses to see the clock.

I never could wear contacts, just big, thick glasses. If I had known, I would have paid for lens exchange decades ago.

[raysachs]

Originally Posted by Hoyt

As someone who could not see my hand 12" from my face, cataract surgery has been great. I now can see my feet in the shower. I don't have to reach for my glasses to see the clock.

I never could wear contacts, just big, thick glasses. If I had known, I would have paid for lens exchange decades ago.

My Mother In Law had terrible eyesight, surgeries as a kid, always wore coke bottle glasses as long as I've known her. Last year, at age 85, she had both eyes done with just basic monofocal lenses. Now she doesn't wear glasses except to read. I didn't realize similar cataract surgery could do that - I thought she must have had Lasik on top of it. Now I know better. I wonder if docs are gonna start doing this earlier and earlier to correct some vision problems, since I guess the lenses don't go bad over time?

-Ray

[Silly Moustache]

a good friend of mine who has had serious health problems got new specs last October, and by March/April his cataracts had advanced very rapidly.

here in the Uk it is something that should be done by the NHS, but the lead time is usually some months and with the "You Know What" waiting times are silly, so on recommendation from another friend, I suggested a place where he could have them done privately.

in fact there are three local places where he could have had them done.

One didn't have anyone manning the phones and never called him back despite repeated calls to them, another had decided to double their prices and the third was on the button,and sounded professional.

He had both eyes done same day, and after two days of soreness and loads of eye drops he says he can now read car number plates five miles away but can't see anything closer than about a yard away (and as he says, he's only got short arms!)

I think he paid about £2000 per eye.

He has been driving his motor home around for the last week or so.

I guess it comes to as all - and Ive booked an appointment with my optician as my specs are two years old now, and Ive had problems with my right eye.

Hope the new "eyes" continue to be a blessing for you!

[DCCougar]

Thanks for that, Ray. My left eye is pretty bad in the morning, but then it clears up. Nevertheless, gonna need that surgery before too long.

Originally Posted by raysachs

....So, did all the prep for a few days, the surgery was yesterday.....

What's the prep needed?

[raysachs]

Originally Posted by DCCougar

Thanks for that, Ray. My left eye is pretty bad in the morning, but then it clears up. Nevertheless, gonna need that surgery before too long.


What's the prep needed?

Mostly a routine of eye drops for about 3-4 days before surgery. And if you’re the type who needs to read everything about it, as I am, you read everything about it!

-Ray

[David Eastwood]

Originally Posted by EvanB

I had been near-sighted but opted to go long. So I now use glasses for reading and shop work but can see long distances.

That's exactly what I did, about 4 years ago. I can echo all of Ray's joyous observations, plus one more - I can now see properly through a camera viewfinder without glasses. It's almost worth the price of admission for that alone.