Cataract Surgery

[W2R]

This was a great thread. I am up for my first eye (right) on March 2. These posts have helped calm me down a bit - the idea of having someone working on my eyes has a big creep factor. Mine is going to be blade-less and the lens will be toric to correct for astigmatism. She can't tell if it will correct 100% until she plucks the old lens out.

Thanks to all the contributors to this thread.

Definitely a big creep factor! I have to admit that I was terrified and put it off until I just had no choice. If I had had the surgery earlier, I might have avoided some pretty awful falls, broken toes, and so on, mostly due to poor vision.

For me the most wonderful, exhilarating feeling was after the surgery on the first eye, and realizing that I could SEE. Not only that, but I could see better than before the surgery. Pretty amazing. After that experience, the second eye wasn't scary at all.

DW is also having one eye done 3/2.

Congratulation to her and to jebmke for taking this momentous step! I'll be hoping that both have good outcomes like I did.

I still seem to have double vision sometimes but only when my eyes are very tired late at night. I plan to mention it again to my opthalmologist on my last post-op checkup, which is in April I think. I suspect he is going to say it is due to dry eyes. So, I should probably get some saline eyedrops and try them first. Just haven't gotten around to it.

 

[braumeister]

I still seem to have double vision sometimes but only when my eyes are very tired late at night. I plan to mention it again to my opthalmologist on my last post-op checkup, which is in April I think. I suspect he is going to say it is due to dry eyes. So, I should probably get some saline eyedrops and try them first. Just haven't gotten around to it.

Cataract surgery two years ago. I haven't had any problems like double vision, but I occasionally get a bit of fogginess in one eye, especially in the afternoon/evening. Visit to the ophthalmologist a couple of weeks ago confirmed that it's just dry eyes, and she gave me several samples of eyedrops to take care of it.

The eyedrops work well, so I suspect you could benefit from them as well.

One word of warning: Eyedrops can be either liquid or gel. The gel type is much more soothing and feels pretty good, but can give you blurry vision for an hour or two. The doc confirmed that it's probably best, if you want to use the gel type, to save it for just before you go to bed.

 

[W2R]

Cataract surgery two years ago. I haven't had any problems like double vision, but I occasionally get a bit of fogginess in one eye, especially in the afternoon/evening. Visit to the ophthalmologist a couple of weeks ago confirmed that it's just dry eyes, and she gave me several samples of eyedrops to take care of it.

The eyedrops work well, so I suspect you could benefit from them as well.

One word of warning: Eyedrops can be either liquid or gel. The gel type is much more soothing and feels pretty good, but can give you blurry vision for an hour or two. The doc confirmed that it's probably best, if you want to use the gel type, to save it for just before you go to bed.

Thanks - - I'll keep that in mind, for sure. I need clear vision more than I need soothing sensations so after reading what you had to say, I think I'll avoid the gel completely.

 

[eytonxav]

All these cataract surgeries are becoming like the ER Class threads, I will be in the class of 2016.

 

[Big_Hitter]

Congratulation to her and to jebmke for taking this momentous step! I'll be hoping that both have good outcomes like I did.

thanks - her vision has deteriorated so badly that she can hardly see now - she has to get right up to the TV to see it and driving, well.....

dr said she would correct to 20/40 without glasses with the regular lens, which is covered by insurance!

 

[Amethyst]

My late father had cataract surgery in 1983, and he and my Mother described the ordeal often, and in detail. He had to lie face down for 3 days, except he was allowed to get up to use the bathroom, and even then had to keep his head down. Although the lenses gave him great distance vision, he eventually had to get trifocals in order to read the newspaper, watch TV etc. I guess most people still need reading glasses with the new cataract lenses.

Just having to lie flat for 3 days is now known to have bad health effects, so things have improved greatly from a health perspective, not merely the vision technology itself and the avoidance of trouble and wasted time!

Amethyst

A friend of mine is an ophthalmologist and he once told me that they used to keep a patient in the hospital for days, block their head with pillows and make them lay still. Now, people come to the hospital or surgery center, get their cataract fixed and go to the mall for lunch and shopping right afterward. Amazing!

 

[Big_Hitter]

DW had surgery yesterday on her right eye. Went to follow-up today and her vision corrected to 20/25 without glasses. I almost started crying in the reception area.


Her left eye will get done 3/15.

 

[W2R]

DW had surgery yesterday on her right eye. Went to follow-up today and her vision corrected to 20/25 without glasses. I almost started crying in the reception area.

Her left eye will get done 3/15.

WONDERFUL news!! I am so happy she had good results, and so fast! It's possible that her vision might even improve a little more in the next day or two.

 

[Tadpole]

(Ditto W2R.)


She must be really pleased with this outcome!

 

[Big_Hitter]

thanks everyone - 50 years ago I guess she just would have gone blind?


it's nice being in this day and age

 

[Bestwifeever]

So happy for your DW, B_H. The lenses were developed after WWII when a military doc realized the eye tolerated plastic shrapnel from the cockpit windows (or something like that, per Wikipedia). My surgery was a year ago and every day I am still amazed that this wonderful result was possible.

 

[REWahoo]

thanks everyone - 50 years ago I guess she just would have gone blind?

No, but intraocular lens implants were new, unproven and not widely available, so she would have probably ended up wearing thick "Coke bottle" hyperopic glasses.

 

[MichaelB]

No, but intraocular lens implants were new, unproven and not widely available, so she would have probably ended up wearing thick "Coke bottle" hyperopic glasses.

Yes. My grandfather wore those.

 

[REWahoo]

So happy for your DW, B_H. The lenses were developed after WWII when a military doc realized the eye tolerated plastic shrapnel from the cockpit windows (or something like that, per Wikipedia).

Yep.

I found this short story of how this all came about:

The Fascinating History Behind the Intraocular Lens | Fort Lauderdale Eye Institute

 

[REWahoo]

Yes. My grandfather wore those.

As did my mom.

 

[braumeister]

If you've had cataract surgery in the last ten years, there's a good chance that at least one of the instruments used was invented by a friend of mine. He has a list of patents for them as long as my arm. Fascinating stuff, working at such a micro miniature level.

 

[MRG]

As did my mom.

My grandfather and my aunt as well.

 

[eytonxav]

DW had surgery yesterday on her right eye. Went to follow-up today and her vision corrected to 20/25 without glasses. I almost started crying in the reception area.


Her left eye will get done 3/15.

What a terrific outcome, truly life changing. Congrats to you both.

 

[jebmke]

Just got back yesterday from Annapolis. We stayed over Wed. night since I had a followup at 8am. Initial test shows 20:25 in my new right eye with the toric lens. Doc says it should improve in the coming weeks. She she thinks she may have been able to fully correct for the astigmatism which was "off the chart". What is amazing is the color difference! I had no idea that the world turned yellow on me. Incredible.

I was wound like a watch spring waiting to be wheeled into the laser room. Thank goodness for Versed.

 

[Big_Hitter]

Just got back yesterday from Annapolis. We stayed over Wed. night since I had a followup at 8am. Initial test shows 20:25 in my new right eye with the toric lens. Doc says it should improve in the coming weeks. She she thinks she may have been able to fully correct for the astigmatism which was "off the chart". What is amazing is the color difference! I had no idea that the world turned yellow on me. Incredible.

I was wound like a watch spring waiting to be wheeled into the laser room. Thank goodness for Versed.

 

[MRG]

Just got back yesterday from Annapolis. We stayed over Wed. night since I had a followup at 8am. Initial test shows 20:25 in my new right eye with the toric lens. Doc says it should improve in the coming weeks. She she thinks she may have been able to fully correct for the astigmatism which was "off the chart". What is amazing is the color difference! I had no idea that the world turned yellow on me. Incredible.

I was wound like a watch spring waiting to be wheeled into the laser room. Thank goodness for Versed.

Congratulations, glad it went well. You made me laugh. My mom freaked out about the yellow. She'd been scrubbing her white kitchen walls for months trying to get the yellow off.:sly:

 

[Bestwifeever]

If you've had cataract surgery in the last ten years, there's a good chance that at least one of the instruments used was invented by a friend of mine. He has a list of patents for them as long as my arm. Fascinating stuff, working at such a micro miniature level.

A big thank you to your friend

 

[W2R]

Just got back yesterday from Annapolis. We stayed over Wed. night since I had a followup at 8am. Initial test shows 20:25 in my new right eye with the toric lens. Doc says it should improve in the coming weeks. She she thinks she may have been able to fully correct for the astigmatism which was "off the chart". What is amazing is the color difference! I had no idea that the world turned yellow on me. Incredible.

I was wound like a watch spring waiting to be wheeled into the laser room. Thank goodness for Versed.

Congratulations on the great vision! Pretty wonderful, I think.

Versed was wonderful for me, too. It really calmed me down and made the surgery so easy.

 

[eytonxav]

Just got back yesterday from Annapolis. We stayed over Wed. night since I had a followup at 8am. Initial test shows 20:25 in my new right eye with the toric lens. Doc says it should improve in the coming weeks. She she thinks she may have been able to fully correct for the astigmatism which was "off the chart". What is amazing is the color difference! I had no idea that the world turned yellow on me. Incredible.

I was wound like a watch spring waiting to be wheeled into the laser room. Thank goodness for Versed.

Glad to hear about the success. I also heard eye sight can take several weeks before it improves, probably more so with toric and other premium IOLs. I've never noticed any color degradation myself, but all these comments about more vibrant colors have me excited anticipating what my 4K TV will be like once its delivered.

 

[Dreamer]

So happy that everyone's surgeries are going so great and eyesight is so improved! I will have to reread this thread, if I ever have to have it.