Cataract Removal

[Mike G]

Mine were a piece of cake. I really thought I'd be bothered greatly by having someone work on my eye while the eye was wide open and seeing things. But it wasn't! The stuff they gave me had me plenty relaxed and the whole thing really was no big deal. I had about 1.5-2 diopters of astigmatism (along with -13.25 nearsightedness) so I got toric lenses put in. And a couple of stents to try and help the eyes drain better since I have high IOP (intraocular pressure), but they didn't do much and I'm still on 2 eye drops a day to keep the pressure down.

[Centex]

Originally Posted by Vermilye

.... Makes me wonder about any color temperature adjustments I've made in my photographs - how many of them are too cool to the normal viewer...

I may not be a 'normal viewer' but I can assure you that to my eye the pics on your great websites are perfectly 'cool', in the best sense of the word!

[HABBERDABBER]

This getting old thing is getting old. I likely need some eye doctor voodoo, but can not get an appointment for about a year. Dry eye and reduced acuity is my guess. I had a pterygium removed from my port side eye a few years ago. The pre-op paper work said “mild discomfort". I wish. More like metal filings sprinkled onto my eyeball.
I am not gun shy of more work, but delayed in getting in to being seen.

Do your fixing sooner, rather than later.

[MrLynn]

My ophthalmologist has been offering cataract surgery for several years, "whenever you want." I'm scared of anyone getting near my eyes.

Right eye used to be my 'distance' eye, left for reading. Now the right is fuzzy at any distance, but the left is better both near and far. Guess I'm going to have to suck it up and get the right one fixed, at least.

[Mike G]

Originally Posted by MrLynn

My ophthalmologist has been offering cataract surgery for several years, "whenever you want." I'm scared of anyone getting near my eyes.

Right eye used to be my 'distance' eye, left for reading. Now the right is fuzzy at any distance, but the left is better both near and far. Guess I'm going to have to suck it up and get the right one fixed, at least.

They only do one at a time anyway, out of an abundance of caution. It's pretty routine stuff nowadays, they've been doing cataract surgery for so many years; my mother had it done in the 1990s and it went fine. My surgeon had done about 20,000 of them already in his career IIRC.

[Bobbie54]

Originally Posted by Mike G

They only do one at a time anyway, out of an abundance of caution. It's pretty routine stuff nowadays, they've been doing cataract surgery for so many years; my mother had it done in the 1990s and it went fine. My surgeon had done about 20,000 of them already in his career IIRC.

I had both done at once. Several reasons including that complications are very rare and just as likely whether you do one or two (most would not involve both eyes), and that it is very hard for someone extremely nearsighted to adjust to having just one done even for a short time. The one at a time is still the norm in the US but in Europe apparently both at once is more common.

Glad I didn't do one at a time- one recovery was enough (not that it takes long) and one set of appointments (diagnosis, meet the surgeon, pre-surgery checkup, surgery, next day check , next week check, 1 month or so for new glasses prescription, 2 months and see surgeon again!) Four of those appointments required someone else drive me, all required a long drive or a ferry trip at a time when ferries are not reliable. Definitely worth it though. Surprisingly I was not very nervous and found the surgery fascinating- when they break up your own old lens to remove it the light refracts through the bits of it like a kaleidoscope!

[Emsabh]

Originally Posted by Selkirk

A colleague had a cataract procedure done a couple of years ago. He opted for "wavefront intraocular" replacement lens. He was very nearsighted prior, but now has perfect distance vision and only requires very mild reading glasses for close-up work.

Same here. Early onset bilateral cataracts in my mid 50s. Replaced both at the same time. Did not have to cover my eyes, only slept with eye guards for three nights. I never had good vision, very nearsighted - can drive without prescriptions now and only use reading glasses a few times a year.

[Tam2004]

Originally Posted by HABBERDABBER

This getting old thing is getting old. I likely need some eye doctor voodoo, but can not get an appointment for about a year. Dry eye and reduced acuity is my guess.
==========

I had bad dry eye until I began to take the eye vitamins - "Lutein & Zeaxanthan". I didn't think they would help dry eye, but took them for general eye health. Much to my astonishment - I no longer use the eye drops. It took months for this outcome. I personally get them from Costco. They are the one vitamin I never miss after having dry eye most of my adult life.

[Jeff in Salinas]

Figured I’d post my dry eye experience. I had it my old optometrist had mentioned and I knew. He just said use eye drops. He retired and the new one I started seeing was younger and into more tests.

He showed me close up pictures, I didn’t know, that there are oil ducts alone the inner edges of eye lids. The oils cover the eye and slow evaporation of the moisture. For me the ones even putting out anything looked like shortening not oil.

I don’t like fish so my omega3’s were very low. He put me on Theratears Eye Nutrition vitamins which are basically fish oil but formulated for eye issues. 4 a day. And a Borage oil capsule that is suppose to help with the omega3 and eyes. Plus a heated eye mask, has a gel and you microwave for 30 seconds. Gets hot, barely stand it, then put over closed eyes for about 5-6minutes. Once or twice a day.

Took a few months but omega3 levels back to normal, oil ducts look like oil and all working and no more dry eye.

[Red]

Thank you for your post RangerMan. You have reminded me how much of a difference my cataract surgery has made for me. I am sitting in my Escape 19 at Crystal Cove in Tofino British Columbia looking out the front window and admiring the incredible detail and vividness of colors in the gardens and trees without the glasses that I wore for 60 years. The cataract surgery and lens implants have enriched my life and extended my abilities. I wish you success with you decision, you will not regret having it done.

[Beekeeper]

I have had it done in both eyes. It is magic! So wonderful to be able to see again.

[escape artist]

Originally Posted by Beekeeper

I have had it done in both eyes. It is magic! So wonderful to be able to see again.

Hi: Beekeeper... Unfortunately there's lots going on in this world I don't want to see!!! Alf
escape artist N.S. of Lake Erie

[RangerMan]

Tomorrow I begin getting my new eyes. These to go with my new ears (hearing aids) I got last year.

The dentist tells me I need implants. Something to do with bone loss. He's pushing implants hard. Big surprise!. So probably get new teeth.

Now if I could just get this other little thing fixed, I would be in the Enchanted Kingdom.

[Donna D.]

Originally Posted by RangerMan

The dentist tells me I need implants. Something to do with bone loss. He's pushing implants hard. Big surprise!. So probably get new teeth.

My dentist and I too had a recent discussion about implants. Six months start to finish and $100,000.... I'll keep buying crowns. I now have five in my mouth. I don't have bone loss though. How would they anchor the pegs if you're losing bone? hummmm.

[MrLynn]

Originally Posted by Donna D.

My dentist and I too had a recent discussion about implants. Six months start to finish and $100,000.... I'll keep buying crowns. I now have five in my mouth. I don't have bone loss though. How would they anchor the pegs if you're losing bone? hummmm.

They put in bone-graft material, which presumably creates a substrate for the implants. I had two loose teeth removed and grafts put in, so should have implants by September. Not cheap; about $6k each. There's an old gap between them, so the implants will support a permanent bridge over the gap (which my regular dentist will build).

You must have a lot of implants contemplated.

[RangerMan]

We didn't talk cost yet. He knows i'm very thrifty. The wife used to say cheap.

100K! I can deal with a few loose teeth.

[Donna D.]

Originally Posted by MrLynn

You must have a lot of implants contemplated.

We were talking entire mouth. I was curious.

[Viajante]

Originally Posted by Donna D.

My dentist and I too had a recent discussion about implants. Six months start to finish and $100,000.... I'll keep buying crowns. I now have five in my mouth. I don't have bone loss though. How would they anchor the pegs if you're losing bone? hummmm.

Take a little trip or two to Progresso MX and meet with highly qualified dentists for maybe a third of the cost. I know there might be backlash against this recommendation but i personally know people who did the bone grafts, implants, crowns etc without a complaint. Worth a look.

[Ron in BC]

Originally Posted by RangerMan

He knows i'm very thrifty. The wife used to say cheap.

Fortunately, with a Scottish heritage, I don't get called those names. I'm just frugal, not cheap.

Ron

[HABBERDABBER]

Originally Posted by Ron in BC

Fortunately, with a Scottish heritage, I don't get called those names. I just frugal, not cheap.

Ron

Or this one: parsimonious.
It sounds highfalutin and serious.
pär″sə-mō′nē-əs
adjective
Excessively sparing or frugal.
Exhibiting parsimony; sparing in expenditure of money; frugal to excess; penurious;

Me? A tightwad.
Miser? Naw.
Skinflint? Sort of.
Cheapskate? ...I'm working towards that one.