No Cataract Surgery for Me

[eytonxav]

I am wondering how long others had to wear sunglasses outside after their cataract surgery?

 

[W2R]

I am wondering how long others had to wear sunglasses outside after their cataract surgery?

I only HAD to wear those big ugly ones for a day or two until my eyes weren't so dilated.

Soon after my second eye was done, I bought my first pair of Ray-bans ever. These were my first non-prescription sunglasses in over 50 years and my first that weren't super cheap. I love them so much, best sunglasses I have ever had. They are polarized, just the right shade of grey, very comfortable, and they relax my eyes. I wear sunglasses a lot more now than ever before. I always wear them when driving in normal daylight. I guess I don't have to wear them, but want to wear them.

 

[eytonxav]

Soon after my second eye was done, I bought my first pair of Ray-bans ever. These were my first non-prescription sunglasses in over 50 years and my first that weren't super cheap. .

I have two pair of Ray-bans, one with progressive lenses and the other with fixed power, so now I will have to replace them with non-Rx lenses which I suspect won't be cheap.

 

[gerntz]

Any one have their cataract removed via laser? As I understand it, laser allows for cleaner incisions, less chance of damage from breaking up and removing the cataract, and lower chance of infection.

Are there any statistically valid studies that support these claims?

 

[eytonxav]

Are there any statistically valid studies that support these claims?

My Dr said he generally does not use laser unless inserting a toric type lens, but I have no studies that could prove the benefits of the laser other than some general info on the internet that indicated that. Don't ask me to find those links, please.

Edit - found this link rather quickly http://www.webmd.com/eye-health/cataracts/news/20111025/cataract-surgery-may-be-safer-with-laser

 

[W2R]

I have two pair of Ray-bans, one with progressive lenses and the other with fixed power, so now I will have to replace them with non-Rx lenses which I suspect won't be cheap.

This embarrassing fact would probably fit better on the thread about penny pinching - - but anyway, my most expensive prior sunglasses were a pair of single vision prescription ones I got from thirty-nine dollar glasses dot com not too long ago. And before that, my most expensive prior sunglasses were $3-$5 drugstore sunglasses back in the early 1960's.

I felt like the Ray-bans were a reward from me to me, for having the courage to go through such scary operations. Well, scary to me anyway. I picked the ones I loved the best, not the cheapest. When I wear them I feel like a movie star and they really help with my vision, especially on sunny days because they are polarized.

I was totally aghast at the price of my Ray-bans at first, so I mostly paid for them using rewards from my Amazon Visa card. That helped but doing that was really just fooling myself.

 

[eytonxav]

I really like my Rx Ray-bans as well, and must admit they make me feel movie star like if that is possible. I have only had these for 2-3 year, as I bought them when I started playing sr softball.

 

[eytonxav]

My 2nd eye was done on Tuesday. The Dr calculated the lens powers such that I would have a little more close-up/intermediate vision in the right eye, while my left eye is the distance eye. This is not mono vision, as he just biased the power that way so that I will be a little less dependent on readers. My first eye also had an epi-retinal membrane problem, so aside from the cataract, it was a bit of an unknown how much improvement I would get in that eye, but it is good enough to pass the driving test. It took several weeks for that eye to recover from blurriness, due to that membrane. For the 2nd eye, I was a bit dismayed that it was quite blurry on my follow-up appointment the day after surgery, so I thought it would again take weeks to clear up like the first eye, but the following day I woke up and it was very clear. I had a dropless procedure in both eyes, except that being diabetic, they have me continuing to take Ilevro in each eye for a few months. The only downside to dropless is that you can see the medicine moving around inside your eye for a few days until it is absorbed.

I am so happy not having a pair of heavy glasses on my nose for the first time in over 50 years and am looking forward to resume heavy lifting, softball and golf at the end of April. It was so helpful reading W2Rs thread on this subject, so thank you to everyone that contributed to that thread, as well as this one.

 

[W2R]

Glad to read that you had such a good outcome!

I'm going to my six month follow-up appointment on Monday and then I'll be done. I am very happy with the outcome, especially with my distance vision in the morning.

It surprises me that I still like a bright light when doing fine work up close (with readers), like reading the teeny tiny print on medication bottles for example. Also, I still have double vision in both eyes but only when my eyes get tired in the evenings; how weird. Basically it tells me that it's time to give up and go to bed. I'm going to mention the double vision to my surgeon again on Monday to see what he says. I probably should have tried OTC eye drops to see if they helped, but never got around to it.

But overall, my vision is so much better and because of that, I'm doing much better with driving and even with walking more safely.

 

[eytonxav]

Basically it tells me that it's time to give up and go to bed. I'm going to mention the double vision to my surgeon again on Monday to see what he says. I probably should have tried OTC eye drops to see if they helped, but never got around to it.

I believe if your eyes are dry, that can contribute to the double vision. My Dr said that eyes can become dryer after cataract surgery, so they recommended using the preservative free lubricants several times a day. The preservative free variety come in individual vials. My Drs office is also conducting a dry eye trial, and I was amazed at how many people showed up for that study when I had my follow-up appointments.

Anyway, it was motivational to hear of so many positive cataract surgery outcomes. I was initially very concerned about the idea of eye surgery, but your thread really helped me to realize its pretty routine and uneventful.