Cataract surgery

[BoeingDiesel]

Has anyone had this procedure? I know it's somewhere down the not too distant road for me. My brother is an eye Doc' an he's assured me that it's a simple procedure and no to worry but anything that has to do with doctors, surgery, anesthesia etc scares the crap out of me. Any experiences or whatever are greatly appreciated.

 

[surfbeetle]

I had it done about three years ago. One eye and then six weeks later, the other eye. It really is not a big deal. The biggest bother for me was the fact that I'm in my 40's and everyone in the hospital kept remarking that I was too young to have to need this surgery. When I got mine done, the doctor asked if I wanted to dial back one of the eyes just a bit so that I would not need glasses to read my phone. Apparently, your brain gets used to it. I did not do that and had both set to the same, I need glasses to read but not for driving or long distance. My co-worker also had his eyes done. He changed his vision from needing glasses to drive, to needing them to read and he had one eye dialed back just a bit. While he still wears glasses, he can still read his phone if necessary without glasses. Good Luck!

 

[BoeingDiesel]

Thanks Surfbeetle, I'll give that some thought about adjusting the visual acuity (or whatever they call it) so I can read the panel with out my reading glasses. I recall my brother mentioning something about the options but not sure if he was referring to the same.
thanks gregg

 

[BarryG]

I had it done about 18 years ago. Piece of cake, no pain, went back to work the next day.

 

[Larry Willard]

I had both eyes done about 3 years ago 3 weeks apart. Nothing to it, surgery is done in about 15 minutes. I wore glasses all the time for almost 50 years, with bifocals for the last 15 or 20. Now I only need glasses to read. I buy 1.5's for the computer and 2's for other reading. Get them at the dollar store. After wearing glasses all that time the air bothered my eyes so I started wearing plain safety glasses when needed.

Wait until you see how bright colors are when you first get to see after surgery.

Larry

 

[BIGNASTY]

Not the same but I just couldn't deal with wearing glasses anymore. I could see ALMOST normal at any daily needed distance. My problem was close up work and wearing Glasses was a PITA to say the least. Working on cars was the worst, laying on my back looking up and needing the Bifocals was something that PiXXed me off to no end, My SIL is an Ophthalmologist for the VA even had the Bifocal part of my glasses ground on the upper half of my glasses which was a TREMENDOUS help. Then there was the fogging and sweating on the lenses another infurating problem. Had the surgery to fix the problem its amazing what can be done, I still wear a VERY MILD perscription to read FOR ANY LENGTH of time it just makes it easier on the eyes and I get less eye strain but can read lables without them. I wear sunglasses religiously and always have.

Good luck with your procedure

BIG

 

[DavidC]

Funny this showed up. I have one in my right eye that the VA is going to remove in a few Months, probably after one of my more pressing problems is taken care of. The Doc said the prep takes longer than the surgery and eyesight will be 20/20.

Dave

 

[BoeingDiesel]

thanks all for your input and reassuring comments...guess I'll quit being a dang sissy and just do it when it's time.

 

[MLee]

I know that you'll make a good decision for your self, BUT, after having mine done I wish that I had done both to the distance, than the MONO, which is one close and one far, driving @ night is a problem for me with my set up cause my left eye is the close vision and this makes it difficult for distance sewing at night. You brain does make compensation for this but some times it's not fun.
Just my view on my situation.
I hated to have any thing done on my eyes, this was no problem at all. You have to have trust in the surgeon that going to do the repair.

 

[BoeingDiesel]

I'll have to ask my brother about the options re; distance etc. which I think I'd rather go with and use glasses for seeing the panel. Visual acuity is an important factor for me to consider.

 

[Mark31]

I'll have to ask my brother about the options re; distance etc. which I think I'd rather go with and use glasses for seeing the panel. Visual acuity is an important factor for me to consider.

Boeing, I feel you, bro!, as my black friend says. I, too, need cats dealt with. My eyes and I have always had a "thang". I easily get motion sickness, (if we go to the mountains, I have to drive), blended bifocals drove me up the wall, migraines that come from my eyes, etc. My wife isn't doing so "wunnerful", so I'm just trying to get by for now. I have been looking into the premium lenses that medicare and some ins companies don't pay for (about $5k) so I would have my eyes "together" and probably not have to wear glasses. A co-worker's son-law-law does cat surgery on the other side of SC and when he is here next time, we are going to have a real heart to heart to try to figure out what to do. He did the good lenses on his mother-in-law's eyes, and she is very happy. Around here, there are some "centers" that move people around like a herd of cows from pen to pen, and I hope I don't have to go to one of them. Wishing you the best! Mark

 

[BoeingDiesel]

Side note; our eldest dog Lily was diagnosed with beginning cataracts on her last well check with our vet. He said not to worry as there is a medication that has been somewhat successful in reversing the process..." Can C Eye drops." I checked it out on the internet and if the reviews are true, it (to a point) works and is also recommended for humans and that [it] replaces some chemical that degrades with the years. I called my brother and he just kind of chuckled a little and said that the conversation had come up in his last re-current ED conference. In retrospect, I guess I can understand his reaction...if I was a surgeon I don't think I'd want a chemical to replace my mutli thousand dollar procedure. I've got a biennial review, Med' and a DMV renewal next February which of course includes an eye exam etc. I'm going to give the drops a try and see where it goes..no pun intended. Thanks All

 

[DavidC]

Well the drops will be interesting. Any idea on the time frame before you would see (no pun intended) a difference ?.

Dave

 

[BoeingDiesel]

supposedly, improvement should be obvious within 60-90 days.

 

[Lynx0849]

Timely thread.

I am getting my cataracts removed next month. Right first then 2 weeks later, the left. I have opted for best distance vision. Dont mind glasses for reading.

Like the OP, it scares me.

My eye pressures were a bit high so i have been using drops to lower it to make the procedure safer.



Pro

 

[Mark31]

My life's best friend was also my right hand man. He lost peripheral vision in one eye and had a cataract on the other. Before he had strokes, he was MUCH man. Before they were to operate on the cataract, they gave him some valium and he had some kind of reaction. I gather that they had their hands full until they gave him something to counteract the valium. While waiting for him, I talked to a lady who looked to be in her fifties who had had the "high priced" lenses. She was reading a book without glasses and she said it was well worth the $5000 she had to pay for the good lenses. I'll try to find the name of the company that makes the "good lenses" tomorrow and post it here so those among us facing this will have an option to discuss with their doctor.

 

[Larry Willard]

My life's best friend was also my right hand man. He lost peripheral vision in one eye and had a cataract on the other. Before he had strokes, he was MUCH man. Before they were to operate on the cataract, they gave him some valium and he had some kind of reaction. I gather that they had their hands full until they gave him something to counteract the valium. While waiting for him, I talked to a lady who looked to be in her fifties who had had the "high priced" lenses. She was reading a book without glasses and she said it was well worth the $5000 she had to pay for the good lenses. I'll try to find the name of the company that makes the "good lenses" tomorrow and post it here so those among us facing this will have an option to discuss with their doctor.

I had the exact opposite information from a lady next door in the campground. She said don't waste my money on the "high price" lenses as she wasn't so happy with them. Guess like always everyone has an opinion. Talk to your surgeon/eye doctor and then make "your" best decision.

 

[Blu-meanie]

I got Toric? lenses installed, they were $1000 each at the time. At first I could see the best I had in years, after a few months I had to get glasses again. Bummer.

 

[Tractorat]

Make sure you pay attention to what is going on with your eyes right after the surgery. I had mine done a few years ago. The next day I noticed something weird going on but the doc said he didnt see anything. Well, the next day it looked like coal dust hanging in the air in that eye. I had a very serious inner eye infection. By that night the vision in that eye went black. In the next couple of days they did an emergency surgery to remove all of the dead infection cells and pump antibiotics into my eye. (Ever hear the expression stick a needle in your eye ? Very painful and scary. I got the vision back though. But only because I was on top of it. If I hadnt insisted on the doc coming into his office at 9:00 at night I would have lost the vision in that eye.

 

[MLee]

You should have EYE drops also use them as directed. To guard against having problems.