Cataracts!

[SumDay]

I've been reading much more than usual during Covid days, and began to notice I can barely see the guide on the TV screen - I was attributing this to dry eye from too much reading. Trying to read anything on Netflix is almost impossible.

I went to the eye doctor this morning and found out I have cataracts, in both eyes! I can't get in for an evaluation until October 20, but they said I can probably get both done by 12/31 since I've met my deductible.

I'm 63, and didn't expect this to happen, yet. My husband had a radial keratotomy 40 years ago, and had cataract surgeries in the past few years, and assures me it's a piece of cake.

Thank heaven for science.

 

[W2R]

Oh good! Cataract surgery was absolutely miraculous for me. It took 5-7 minutes for each eye, and I was awake throughout the surgery but with some sort of anesthetic medication that eliminated any pain, fear, or anxiety. I had my eyes done one week apart, back in 2015 when I was 67 years old.

Here's the thread I started about my cataract surgery. Much of the thread was posted before the surgery. My first post after the surgery is #104.

My vision has never been better, even when I was a little girl. I love driving with no glasses and wearing non-prescription fancy Ray-Ban sunglasses too. Oh, and also you won't believe the beautiful intensity of colors after cataract surgery! Apparently the cataract itself obscures colors, so after the surgery you can see them better.

 

[finnski1]

I've been reading much more than usual during Covid days, and began to notice I can barely see the guide on the TV screen - I was attributing this to dry eye from too much reading. Trying to read anything on Netflix is almost impossible.

I went to the eye doctor this morning and found out I have cataracts, in both eyes! I can't get in for an evaluation until October 20, but they said I can probably get both done by 12/31 since I've met my deductible.

I'm 63, and didn't expect this to happen, yet. My husband had a radial keratotomy 40 years ago, and had cataract surgeries in the past few years, and assures me it's a piece of cake.

Thank heaven for science.

I'm 61 and had the same symptoms. Just did my exam and I have a slight cataract issue in the right eye which explains blurrier vision over the left eye.
I am on the computer a lot and do also get the dry eye problems. Heck sometimes after being on all day I go outside and almost see double on objects in the distance. Annoying.
Probably need the surgery in the near future.
Let us know how it goes.

 

[finnski1]

Oh good! Cataract surgery was absolutely miraculous for me. It took 5-7 minutes for each eye, and I was awake throughout the surgery but with some sort of anesthetic medication that eliminated any pain, fear, or anxiety. I had my eyes done one week apart, back in 2016 when I was 68 years old.

My vision has never been better, even when I was a little girl. I love driving with no glasses and wearing non-prescription fancy Ray-Ban sunglasses too. Oh, and also you won't believe the beautiful intensity of colors after cataract surgery! Apparently the cataract itself obscures colors, so after the surgery you can see them better.

Wow that sounds fantastic maybe I should just get the right eye done now instead of waiting until it gets worse. Did you have other vision issues when younger. I have an astigmatism and have worn glasses nearly all my life.

 

[SumDay]

So, both our boys and their womens are coming for Thanksgiving which is the 26th. If I have one done on say on November 17th or the 24th, will I be able to cook?

 

[MichaelB]

Welcome to the club.

W2R’s thread is useful and a great way to start reading up on this. I’d be careful not getting the first done too close to year end, the risk being the second gets rescheduled into next year and you have to meet the new deductible.

Seconding what W2R said, the procedure was a breeze. The biggest risk is eye infection, and that is easily avoided by following the pre and post surgery eye drop regimen.

 

[W2R]

Wow that sounds fantastic maybe I should just get the right eye done now instead of waiting until it gets worse. Did you have other vision issues when younger. I have an astigmatism and have worn glasses nearly all my life.

I have always been near sighted with astigmatism.

Due to family issues I was not able to get my eyes tested until I moved out at age 19 and secretly had that done at my own expense the very next day. Yes I had a strange family growing up. ("No kid of mine needs glasses!") Anyway, I have worn glasses ever since that first eye exam at age 19, until I had cataract surgery.

As for the timing of your cataract surgery, I'd ask your doctor. I waited as long as I could, until my (unusually good) optometrist told me that it was time and needed to be done ASAP. When he told me I probably couldn't pass the eye test for my driver's license any more, that was pretty persuasive. Then I asked him for a referral to a cataract surgeon and had both eyes done ASAP.

Probably some of my happiness with the results, is due to the fact that my cataracts were pretty awful by the time I had it done.

 

[finnski1]

I have always been near sighted with astigmatism.

Due to family issues I was not able to get my eyes tested until I moved out at age 19 and secretly had that done at my own expense the very next day. Yes I had a strange family growing up. ("No kid of mine needs glasses!") Anyway, I have worn glasses ever since that first eye exam at age 19, until I had cataract surgery.

That is an interesting story.
My parents both wore glasses and I was the lucky one who had to wear glasses so young. My 5 (yes 5) brothers and sisters only recently (within the past 5 or so years) have had to wear glasses in their 50's and 60's.
Long hair, way oversized cheap plastic frame glasses and looking like Bill Gates brother in the 1970's probably explains why my brothers had many more dates and girlfriends in high school and beyond than I did.

But hey I retired at 48 and they are both still working!

 

[calmloki]

So, both our boys and their womens are coming for Thanksgiving which is the 26th. If I have one done on say on November 17th or the 24th, will I be able to cook?

Next door neighbor (74 or so) had one eye done a few weeks ago and is hugely pleased. He wore an eye patch for ~3 days, but primarily to keep himself from sticking his fingers in his eye. Eye drops several times/day. As others have said, he reports it as the easiest surgical event he'd ever experienced and he's looking forward to getting the next one done. Sounds like cooking and company should be easy and enjoyable.

 

[TrvlBug]

I had the surgery in both eyes, a year apart. I would suggest you start research to decide what type of lens best fits your needs/lifestyle. This allows you to totally change your eyesight . It took me so long to decide on lens type that I postponed the surgery twice.

I had mild nearsightedness and one of my goals was to toss my glasses. I opted for monovision (one near and one far) and love it. My second choice would have been farsighted vision. At the time I had my surgery, the multi-focus lenses were too new for my comfort. Cataract surgery does not allow for do-overs so you need to be sure of your decision. I have prescription sunglasses (farsighted) for driving as well as a pair for night driving. Other than driving, I wear no glasses including no readers .

Cataract surgery, unfortunately, does not correct for old age eyes . I have poor night vision, need magnifying glasses to cut the cats' nails as well as read some of the fine print OTC meds.

The surgery is a breeze. The main hassle is the after meds you need to take for 3 weeks or so, several times a day. There may have been some lifting restrictions for a few days but I may be getting that confused with other surgery.

Edit to clarify prescription driving glasses: I like the 'crisper' vision these glasses give me. I don't need prescription glasses to drive, but feel more comfortable with better driving vision.

 

[MissMolly]

So, both our boys and their womens are coming for Thanksgiving which is the 26th. If I have one done on say on November 17th or the 24th, will I be able to cook?

You won't be able to see very well the day of surgery and probably the following day due to the amount of dilation they do to the eye. After that, you should see just fine.

Also, keep aware of the possibility of Posterior Vitreous Detachment which can occur after cataract surgery. Actually, PVD can occur just simply due to age. I had it in both eyes about a year later. The doc just kept an eye on it for a few months and the worst long lasting effect are a bunch of new floaters which bother me to this day (almost 2 years later). I also developed posterior capsule opacification in one eye about 2 years after the cataract surgery and had to have the YAG laser surgery to clear that up. The YAG was a simple painless procedure done at the doctor's office.

 

[TrvlBug]

You won't be able to see very well the day of surgery and probably the following day due to the amount of dilation they do to the eye. After that, you should see just fine.

Also, keep aware of the possibility of Posterior Vitreous Detachment which can occur after cataract surgery. Actually, PVD can occur just simply due to age. I had it in both eyes about a year later. The doc just kept an eye on it for a few months and the worst long lasting effect are a bunch of new floaters which bother me to this day (almost 2 years later). I also developed posterior capsule opacification in one eye about 2 years after the cataract surgery and had to have the YAG laser surgery to clear that up. The YAG was a simple painless procedure done at the doctor's office.

Great point about the PVD. It is much more common after cataract surgery and I was told if I had any episodes to call immediately for an exam. My second surgery I had a serious episode of PVD while at the resort's gym outside the country. I was unable to be seen by a local ophthalmologist so saw mine immediately after I got home. Torn and partially detached retina which required 2 laser surgeries to correct.

 

[Teacher Terry]

I had mine done 4 months apart mainly because I didn’t want to keep track of drops for both eyes. I chose the far sightedness.

 

[Car-Guy]

The DW and I both had our eyes checked earlier this year... The doctor told her she need cataract surgery ASAP... Her eye sight was bad enough she would not have been able to pass the eye test for a driver license renewal which was coming up... The doctor said mine wasn't bad at all and I probably wouldn't need the surgery for at least 10 years, maybe more... Of course in her mind, it was my fault she needed the surgery and I didn't.

Ok, she had both eyes done in the space of about 5 weeks. It took a total of seven office visits to have both eyes done then checked and then re-checked. The actual surgery took less than 15mins per eye and she wasn't in the office more than a hour in total for each eye...The followup visits took far longer, like about 2 hours each. Then eye drops for several more weeks and then it was done. She said she didn't experaince any eye discomfort through the entire process.

About a month later she renewed her drivers license and passed the eye exam without any problem. First time she can drive without glasses in almost 40 years! (Or I guess you could say the glasses (lens) are permanently implanted now

 

[braumeister]

My cataracts developed very slowly, over a period of about ten years. Every time I had my eyes checked I would ask if it was time for surgery, and I always got the same answer: "You'll know when it's time."

Finally I was on a road trip of a few hundred miles and found myself asking DW to read highway road signs for me because I had to be practically on top of them before they were readable. That convinced me and I got it done right away. Waited a month between eyes and that worked out well.

 

[MRG]

Had both eyes done in 2015, had worn glasses all my life until post surgery. It was great but eventually I developed a secondary cataract in my left eye. Shortly after they zapped it with a YAG laser that retina detached, it's a risk if you have long eyeballs. The recovery from the retina surgery wasn't fun, I have several new big bright floaters, remnants of the surgery bubble. They said they could do another vitrioatmy and maybe it would disappear like it's supposed to. I didn't ask why it would work better this time than last.[emoji2959]

Most of the vision has returned but there's still a dead spot and distortion in my vision.
.

 

[RetiredAndLovingIt]

I've been reading much more than usual during Covid days, and began to notice I can barely see the guide on the TV screen - I was attributing this to dry eye from too much reading. Trying to read anything on Netflix is almost impossible.

I went to the eye doctor this morning and found out I have cataracts, in both eyes! I can't get in for an evaluation until October 20, but they said I can probably get both done by 12/31 since I've met my deductible.

I'm 63, and didn't expect this to happen, yet. My husband had a radial keratotomy 40 years ago, and had cataract surgeries in the past few years, and assures me it's a piece of cake.

Thank heaven for science.

Curious about your husbands surgery, I also had RK around 87/88. It was a miracle at the time and lasted about 20 years before it started to deteriorate. I now wear hard contacts and can see well with them but have been having a lot of dry eye issues and have been told I will need cataract surgery at some point. Without the contacts my vision is completely crap and glasses give me no vision improvement at all. I have double vision with shadows which the contacts do correct but not sure if surgery would help with these problems. My scars are on the cornea and as I understand it, the surgery replaces the lens. I'm super sensitive to light as well. Would love to hear of how bad his eyesight was before he had he surgery and his what it corrected for him.
Thank you

 

[frank]

my wife had the cataract surgery last year and she took the lenses paid for under medicare. she was offered an upgrade at 1k per eye and the doctor said with the upgrade she would not need glasses or reading glasses. did any of you choose an upgrade of any type or just the surgery that medicare pays for?

 

[MichaelB]

My cataracts developed very slowly, over a period of about ten years. Every time I had my eyes checked I would ask if it was time for surgery, and I always got the same answer: "You'll know when it's time."

I was told the same thing, and it irritated me. Suddenly I was unable to improve my vision by changing my prescription and I realized it was time and they were right all along when they said that.

 

[braumeister]

my wife had the cataract surgery last year and she took the lenses paid for under medicare. she was offered an upgrade at 1k per eye and the doctor said with the upgrade she would not need glasses or reading glasses. did any of you choose an upgrade of any type or just the surgery that medicare pays for?

I got the standard (distance only) and I'm happy with just needing readers. I was very nearsighted all my life so it's a different world now and it's great.

DW needed toric lenses due to astigmatism, and she opted for one distance and one near vision. The brain combines the two and lets you do without glasses entirely. $1,600 per eye. She's happy with the result, although she does need readers for a few things that involve detail up close.

 

[Free To Canoe]

So, both our boys and their womens are coming for Thanksgiving which is the 26th. If I have one done on say on November 17th or the 24th, will I be able to cook?

The surgery changes your vision. DW had both eyes done one at a time and she work corrective lenses since childhood. After the first eye was done, one eye was near 20/20 and the other eye still bad. This will affect your depth perception. If your situation is similar, your Thanksgiving will be difficult.

 

[tmm99]

Had both eyes done in 2015, had worn glasses all my life until post surgery. It was great but eventually I developed a secondary cataract in my left eye. Shortly after they zapped it with a YAG laser that retina detached, it's a risk if you have long eyeballs. The recovery from the retina surgery wasn't fun, I have several new big bright floaters, remnants of the surgery bubble. They said they could do another vitrioatmy and maybe it would disappear like it's supposed to. I didn't ask why it would work better this time than last.[emoji2959]

Most of the vision has returned but there's still a dead spot and distortion in my vision.
.

Sorry to hear this. My friend's experience was much worse. He lost sight on one eye and he cannot see well from the other eye either after surgery. I think he said the lens wasn't firmly attached and gor lost or something like that.

 

[Telly]

The surgery changes your vision. DW had both eyes done one at a time and she work corrective lenses since childhood. After the first eye was done, one eye was near 20/20 and the other eye still bad. This will affect your depth perception. If your situation is similar, your Thanksgiving will be difficult.

Yes indeed!

I wore glasses since elementary school. Had the surgeries done two weeks apart. After first eye surgery, that eye has the IOL, the yet-to-be-operated-on eye had glasses lens to look through. That spatial offset of convergence from inside the eye on one to out in front of the eye on the other, was freaky. Brain really unable to handle the offset, trying to converge two totally different in/out offset views. The optical shop I take glasses prescriptions to warned me of this effect in advance, and said with my level of nearsightedness, I really should try to get the operations closer together than the one month standard my Ophthalmologist uses. I got him to agree to reduce it to two weeks, if there were no problems with the first operation. Which went well. So glad I listened to the 30+ years experience optical shop person, and got it shortened to two weeks between surgeries!
It was a long two weeks...

 

[W2R]

The optical shop I take glasses prescriptions to warned me of this effect in advance, and said with my level of nearsightedness, I really should try to get the operations closer together than the one month standard my Ophthalmologist uses. I got him to agree to reduce it to two weeks, if there were no problems with the first operation. Which went well. So glad I listened to the 30+ years experience optical shop person, and got it shortened to two weeks between surgeries!
It was a long two weeks...

I had my cataract surgeries just one week apart since those were the only two appointments available. I was SO glad that I did this. Honestly I don't know why surgeons try to space them so far apart.

Neither Frank nor I could get that one lens removed from my glasses, so basically I had awful vision that whole week. But it was only a week.

 

[TrvlBug]

my wife had the cataract surgery last year and she took the lenses paid for under medicare. she was offered an upgrade at 1k per eye and the doctor said with the upgrade she would not need glasses or reading glasses. did any of you choose an upgrade of any type or just the surgery that medicare pays for?

I believe the 'upgrade' you are referring to is multi-focal lenses. They are a different type of lens from single vision. Think single vision glasses vs. progressive glasses.

There are pros and cons with each type of lens. I think 'upgrade' is not the way to look at this. I opted for the single vision monovision (one near and one far) because I was not comfortable with the cons of the multivision lenses and they hadn't been around long enough when I had my first surgery about 5 years ago. Don't know if my decision would be the same today.

Edit: I love my monovision...they provide pretty much the same result as multifocal lenses would. The only con is mid-range vision. Leaves something to be desired with the single focus lenses. IIRC this can be corrected by using a different type of multi-focal lens in each eye. This would be the only reason I would maybe opt for multis if I had the surgery today.

Bottom line...this really requires a lot of research wrt lens type.