Cataracts

[ls99]

A month or so ago had an eye exam by an optometrist. He noted that my corrective lenses need not be changed, same power for the past 2 yrs. Did mention to him that I had a ghost image on left eye only, my right eye having been "lazy eye" since birth, would not recognize if it had one also.

He noted there were the beginnings of a cataract on the right eye. The ghost image has been annoying, optometrist said he could not correct for it.

Had made an appointment with an opthalmologist, whom I saw today. Surprise surprise surprise --think Gomer Pyle for the tone. The right eye has advanced cataract the left is also bad enough for R&R (that's techie for remove and replace). No wonder I had been noticing a halo around auto headlights, and bright stars having starburst pattern around them.

The opthalmologist says the ghost image is the result of the cataract. He did not comment on the optometrist's lack of discovery on the left eye cataract.

Anyhoo... mid November schedule for the right eye, mid December for the left. Hope all will go well.

PS. I read most of the past comments on cataracts. If anyone has recent experience, would like to know how it went.

 

[Nords]

Anyhoo... mid November schedule for the right eye, mid December for the left. Hope all will go well.
PS. I read most of the past comments on cataracts. If anyone has recent experience, would like to know how it went.

Nothing for me yet, but I figure it's just a matter of a decade or two before my surfing & yardwork catches up with me.

My father said that he didn't realize he had cataracts until someone told him that firetrucks were still red, not orange.

What type of cataract surgery are you going to have, and what type/brand of lenses have you picked out? Multifocal or monovision?

 

[mickeyd]

Visited the eye doc a few days ago and was advised that my 65 YO eyes have a small cataract that may require surgery in 15-20 years. Just another time horizon for mickeyd.

 

[ls99]

What type of cataract surgery are you going to have, and what type/brand of lenses have you picked out? Multifocal or monovision?

Phaco, mono vision for distance. Did not select a particular brand of lens, whatever he uses. Though, I may do some research into the various brands. Still have plenty of time to [-]annoy[/-] ask relevant questions.

Even if full distance correction is not achieved, for me not a big issue. 'been wearing eye glasses since age 7.

I noted the long list of stuff that can wrong, still hope for the best. This ophthalmologist does lots and lots, given the volume, hope for good results. Just hope the frequent practice does not equal complacency.

 

[JOHNNIE36]

DW had cataract surgery couple years ago, both eyes. Then a couple weeks after the surgery she starts having vision problems again. This I come to find out is normal and is called YAG. The same eye surgeon does the correction with a laser. Be ready for that.

 

[Moemg]

I had cataract surgery a few years ago . It was relatively simple . I had a complication on the right eye that the surgeon handled perfectly . I went with Mono vision . One eye for close and one eye for distance . I do not wear glasses and see perfectly ! It's really an easy procedure . It does take a few weeks until your full vision sets in even though you can see better right away .

 

[Ed_The_Gypsy]

A couple of weeks ago, I had one eye done: an Intra-Ocular Lens implant (IOL).

I go to an ophthalmologist every year. This year, she told me that one eye [the lens] had changed so much that a lens in my glasses would not do the job. The size of the image would be more than 10% different than that from the other eye and my brain could not reconcile the two images that different in size. She was right.

I had a ghost image, too. Earlier, she said it was due to a "water cleft"--a crease in the lens--that gave me two slightly off-set images in one eye. She said it was cataracts. (I always thought that meant obstruction of the vision by some kind of opacity. Apparently the definition is broader than that.)

So, a 30 minute surgery (no discomfort) removed the old lens and replaced it with an elastomer lens (silicone?). My entire life, the left eye has never seen so well as now. No infection, no detached retina that I can notice (both are possible consequences). The eyeball is a tiny bit sore today, but special eye drops fix that.

My eye-cutter is reputed to be the best in town. I give her high marks.

Now I am wondering when the other one will go bad so I can have the same procedure on it.

 

[JOHNNIE36]

Guy that takes care of my lawn just lost the sight in one of his eyes. Last year he had a lens transplant and later found out he was alergic to the steroid eye drops that were prescribed. He has now lost the vision in that eye and the other eye has problems. Now can't do anything about it for fear of losing sight in that eye also. Anybody hear about steroid eye drops? DW used drops also but doesn't know anything about steroids.

 

[nwsteve]

Just over a year since I had cataracts removed from both eyes. Went with multi-focal lens. ReZoom in dominant eye for distance and ReStor in other eye for better reading and midrange.
Surgery process is snap--most uncomfortable part was the anaesthetic. One eye was almost painless where the other one had some discomfort--all due to different approach of the anaesthetist.
I have been near sighted (20-400) since 13 and am now basically free of wearing glasses at anytime. I had wore bifocal contacts prior to surgery and was use to seeing halos. For longterm contact users, the multi-focal lens' so called disadvantages seem to be minor.
If you go mono-vision, much of the cost is covered as a regular surgery item. Multi-focal lens are extra. Insurance should cover the other costs. My multi-focal lens were around 2k each. Since I will supposely never need correction again, pretty good investment in terms of quality of life and convenience
Nwsteve

 

[ls99]

Thanks for all the comments.

Having one eye as a "lazy eye" I do not want to experiment with learning how to use it. It will be enough of a shock to my central visual processor to deal with a well focused and clear image in that eye.

Funny, in retrospect, I always thought that the image from the Lazy eye was ignored by the brain. Now that it has cataract, if I close that eye the image is a lot more clear. So I guess some info was processed from that eye. Actually, I always had high sensitivity to motion in the peripheral of that eye.

Dang, the things I discover.

The comments do help in doing more research.

 

[Meadbh]

Hey, you can spell "opthalmologist" correctly so your visiion must not be that bad!!!

 

[Nords]

Thanks for all the comments.
Having one eye as a "lazy eye" I do not want to experiment with learning how to use it. It will be enough of a shock to my central visual processor to deal with a well focused and clear image in that eye.

You might be surprised. When I wear a reading lens in my non-dominant eye and keep at it for a week or two of 8-10 hours/day, it gets much stronger. When I stop wearing the lens and go back to reading glasses for my dominant eye, my brain ignores the non-dominant eye again.

 

[Ed_The_Gypsy]

I figured that I had nothing to lose. The eye was getting to where it was not going to be usable. Still, binocular vision with one bum eye is still binocular vision. (Worth noting.)

Detached retina was a possible complication. Being super near-sighted, I was at risk anyway.

 

[ls99]

Hey, you can spell "opthalmologist" correctly so your visiion must not be that bad!!!

I did miss-spell it in the original post. My spelling tends to be the way I used to live. Fast with a lot of mistakes. (don't know who said that first).

No boring times except the last three before RE. They were excruciating.

Can' figure it out, is it ophthalmologist or opthalmologist...

 

[ls99]

You might be surprised. When I wear a reading lens in my non-dominant eye and keep at it for a week or two of 8-10 hours/day, it gets much stronger. When I stop wearing the lens and go back to reading glasses for my dominant eye, my brain ignores the non-dominant eye again.

My lazy eye could never be corrected for reading. The best I colud do is read letters 3' high. Or 6" tall for close-up. No amount of practice ever improved it. But worth a thought.

 

[ls99]

Yesterday had the first of two lens replacements. Took longer to sit around than the procedure. It was done under total anasthesia, no recall of anything beyond being parked in the OR.

So far things are good -- dare I say ---Yay! This morning went for the follow up where they do a quicky exam. Pressure, positioning, initial ability to read some lines.

The "lazy" eye seems to be waking up and I notice at times rapid switching between the left, which still has cataract looking through bifocals and the new lens of the right. I had thought the world had gone pastels. Now it looks more like primary colors.

I have prior to the surgery, made a new plano (plain) lens for the right side of my glasses. Which I promptly inserted upon getting home yesterday. THus being rid of the old +3.5 lens with the addtional +2.5 bifocal.

The lens I made is from a pair of safety glasses which I had sitting around for years. Used a hand held scroll saw to cut a lens of the same size which was in the frame. A few minutes with a file added the requisite bevel to fit the the frame. Works like a champ. Price is right too.

Edit add: Nearly forgot, I most thankful that some this fellow spent years in medical school, then some more to specialize, and even more to acquire the skills that allowed him to perform this microsurgery with a minimal incision. Incidentally this morning his father did the follow up exam, after looking at it he said, damn that kid got really good.

 

[Moemg]

Congratulations on your successful surgery !

 

[Nords]

So any changes from the original plan? What model of lenses did you get? Are they flexible enough to focus or did you still do monovision?

Any surprises in prep or post-surgery?

The "lazy" eye seems to be waking up and I notice at times rapid switching between the left, which still has cataract looking through bifocals and the new lens of the right.

That's the weirdest effect, but it seems that once the brain learns how to use the other/both eyes then it's no longer as noticeable.

Incidentally this morning his father did the follow up exam, after looking at it he said, damn that kid got really good.

Not sure you really want to know how long (or how many patients) it took...

 

[Ed_The_Gypsy]

Congrats, Is99.

Very happy you had a good outcome.

 

[Rambler]

Good for you Is99.

Mine were done 4.5 years ago, and its now about time for the YAG laser to zap the secondary that's been bugging me for a few months. I'm headed to the doc on Thurs next week to get it checked to confirm (and hopefully fix) the issue.

Anyone else here had the YAG laser secondary cataract procedure? How did it turn out? Any problems?

R

 

[ls99]

Nords, no surprises at all. If any, then it is how uneventful things are, no complications so far. Just amazement at the colors, which are not faded as before. I am religious about following the various eye drops instillation and periodicity. Both before and after surgery.

The switching is no longer present as of this morning. but am more ware of the image in the repaired eye.

As for how experts become experts, they all have many mistakes. I recall years ago a famous and old neurosurgeon explaining that it took him hundreds of surgeries before he was considered good, and many more years before the title renowned was applied. Reading between the lines would show many many errors. I have not known any instant experts except on TV shows.

I am glad he is now considered pretty good. Unfortunately hard success/failure data is nearly impossible to get on any practitioner.

Finally yes, am sticking with the KISS formula. And glasses if they will be necessary, surely I'll need them for reading. Rigid monovision lenses for both eyes. In my case of the lazy eye it is unknown if it will recover full functioning, time will tell. In the US there are extremely few adults with the condition, since when diagnosed early, the patching remedy and eye exercises correct the problem.

A number of folks (8 or so) I have talked with in person who have multifocal lenses would rather not have them. Weird glare is a problem in all of their cases.

Having worked with complex systems I have a strong aversion to complexity.
In my world now the KISS formula provides simplicity, elegance and comfort. (KISS= Keep it Simple Stupid -for those who never heard the expression)

 

[Nords]

Those esotropia/amblyopia patches/exercises only work if the kid isn't fighting back against them at every step of the way for years. Or so I've been told. Maybe it's better today with video games instead of the 1960s solutions.

Glad everything worked out so well for your surgery! Boring is good.

A number of folks (8 or so) I have talked with in person who have multifocal lenses would rather not have them. Weird glare is a problem in all of their cases.

I hear/read the same. I've tried multifocal contacts, which worked acceptably, but the distance vision was cut down too much to the point where it was hard to read street signs. I'm much happier with monovision (no contacts in one eye, reading lens in the other) and could learn to live with it if cataracts made surgery necessary.

I have great hopes that a flexible artificial lens, one which eye muscles can actually wrestle into focus, will become routine in the next 20-30 years.

 

[nwsteve]

A number of folks (8 or so) I have talked with in person who have multifocal lenses would rather not have them. Weird glare is a problem in all of their cases.

Glad your surgery has gone well.
I had multi-focal lens inplants about a year and half ago. Rezoom in dominant and ReStor in the other eye. I had read that many folks have the glare problem. However, having worn contacts all my adult life, I found any glare much less than I had with the contacts.
I found the biggest challenge in making the decision between multi-focal and mono was not having any way to reasonably predict the outcome since experiences are so individualized. However, when I realized that if necessary they could replace the muli-focal if it did not work, I bit the bullet and went with the multi-focal and am now glasses-free. On a rare occasion in low light, I will borrow my DW's readers to read fine print but otherwise no need.
The key is that the solution works for your daily life style.
Enjoy your new freedom and vision
Nwsteve