Cataract Removal

[RangerMan]

Nothing to do with Escapes but I'm sure some here have had the experience. I was told when I was about 80 (I think) I had eye cataracts. Now I'm told it's time to remove them. Got it schediuled starting next week.

Those I have talked to since have said they are happy they had it done.

Ant experiences here?

[oldwave]

My partner Iris has it done last year and was amazed how well she sees now. Minimal recovery protocol, some drops and cover the eye at night for a week. My ophthalmologist tells me I’m not ready yet. Iris was 73 I’m 71

[DanK]

I had it done in both eyes at 55 . Easy surgery, pay for the laser incisions if that's an option for you. I had forgotten how beautiful the outdoors was before surgery , trees were just greenish shapes before and after I could see all the individual leaves and branches. For me in the condition my eyes had gotten it was life changing.

[WillyB]

I had both eyes done after chemo. I think it’s been about a year now.

E Z P Z!

The procedure takes less than 10 minutes and recovery time (if you can even call it that) is not long. Each day you run through a series of drops and your vision improves every day.

I tell people it’s like getting the inside of your windshield cleaned that haven’t cleaned in years.

[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.

[Allan Bornestig]

Yep, same here.Done about three years ago.No more driving glasses # 2 readers, cheap from Costco.Can read the newspaper without readers if I have to.

[RangerMan]

Thanks. All very encouraging. Good to hear.

[Bobbie54]

I had both eyes done about 13 months ago. I was very nearsighted with thick glasses and was starting to have a lot of trouble with distance even with the glasses. I was 67 now I have very good distance vision 2020 in one eye and almost out and the other one, and I have to use reading glasses for close-up, but they’re much lighter weight and I could get by without them except for close up reading. I can drive without glasses.
The only downside for me is that I can’t squint at things close up and see them better which I could do when I was just nearsighted. Oh, and if you’ve been very nearsighted, you may not have noticed when you smudge your glasses but you definitely notice when you’re farsighted and you smudge you’re reading glasses because it’s in your good vision area. And one less thing dictation is putting the wrong YOUR and not me.

[Bobbie54]

To add a couple of things: it’s possible to get one eye for distance and one for close-up when they do the cataracts, but what my doctor said was that he would not do that unless you had tried it previously on either glasses or contact lenses because about 20% of people cannot get used to it and once you’ve done it on your cataracts then you have no choice. So if that sounds attractive put off the surgery long enough to try it with contacts first.

[MVA]

In advance, pardon for the long story.

I went in for cataract surgery on the right eye first. Immediately after surgery, I have a rapid (3x a second) light flickering in the eye. The surgeon said that will pass in a few days. After multiple visits and 2 months, it did not improve. I went to a retina surgeon to ensure the retina had not detached; it had not (good). At that point the surgical practice (~20 cataract surgeons) convened and they collectively could not solve the problem. The problem was relatively straightforward to me (optical physics); the acrylic lens that was inserted was refracting light and due to the small eye movement (which occurs ~3x a second) was causing interference waves on the flat sides on the new lens. I had not mentioned this cause to the surgeon since she continued to believe "it was all in my head." Fortunately the head of the surgical team got involved and called me for a 1 hour consult. He came up with the conclusion that it could be caused by light diffraction on the edge of the acrylic lens! I then gave him my conjecture and the optical physics phenomena, and he agreed. He had seen this problem before. He replaced the acrylic lens with a silicon lens and the light flickering went away. The second surgery on the right eye was very painful to remove the first lens, but it was done. For the left eye I had a silicon lens and it went fine.

As an aside, most cataract surgeries use acrylic lens since they can be rolled and are inserted with a pre-filled syringe. The silicon lens need to be inserted at the edge of the lens capsule so the incision is larger and healing is a bit longer.

Sometime is is not good to be the one in 10000 or so. In the end, my vision is great and I do not need glasses to read my phone or drive.

Good luck.

[mel99203]

When I had mine done, I was given the option of multifocal lenses for an additional cost of $2,000 per lens. I splurged. It was a big improvement after being very nearsighted for decades. My distance vision is markedly better than it ever was with glasses. Supposedly, most people don't need any glasses afterwards with these lenses, but I'm always in the small percentage of the exceptions. I need a small correction for reading (if the lighting is poor) and computer work. Also, I had bad halos from headlights for years. The new lenses reduced the halos, but they are still bad enough I avoid driving at night when I can. I hate halogen headlights.

A friend of mine recently got the same lenses for $2,500/eye.

[MyronL]

This (photoshopped) picture says it all for me. Had both eyes done, spaced a month apart, last year, age 79, fortunately no glitches, could not be happier or more satisfied with the results. No worries!

[Catchlight]

I had the left eye "done" a month ago and the difference is phenomenal.

The ophthalmologist inserted a TORIC interocular lens and suddenly I can once again see vivid colours, sharp details, and fine textures. Now every scene is significantly brighter and the ever-present sepia tone is gone. And the TORIC technology cleared up the significant astigmatism in that eye. No more double vision!

I'm eagerly anticipating the second operation. After that, my vision should be clear from arm's length to infinity, and I will need glasses only for reading.

If your eye doctor suggests it, don't hesitate to have this life-enhancing procedure done!

[skiman]

Got new glasses few months back. Doc told me I had developed cataracts. I need to get it in gear and get it done. Reading fine print sucks and notice it long distance driving. Sounds like a game changer.

[cpaharley2008]

Interestingly, my eyes seemed to have gotten better as I have aged. Used to wear glasses, now only needed when driving. My yearly last 3 eye exams have shown -0- changes needed for my prescription!

[escape artist]

Originally Posted by skiman

Got new glasses few months back. Doc told me I had developed cataracts. I need to get it in gear and get it done. Reading fine print sucks and notice it long distance driving. Sounds like a game changer.

Hi: skiman... Unfortunately the world is full of "Fine print". For long distance driving I prefer Lincolns!!! Alf
escape artist N.S. of Lake Erie

[Vermilye]

I have serious glaucoma damage in my left (used to be dominant) eye & after drops, laser treatments, etc had to have a drain put in. Since they would not be able to do a cataract procedure after the drain, they did cataract surgery at the same time even though they felt it was too early to be necessary.

The major thing I noticed is the shift in effective color temperature. Everything viewed through what remains of my left eye vision is much cooler, compared to my untreated right eye. 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...

[Donna D.]

Originally Posted by Vermilye

I have serious glaucoma damage in my left (used to be dominant) eye & after drops, laser treatments, etc had to have a drain put in. Since they would not be able to do a cataract procedure after the drain, they did cataract surgery at the same time even though they felt it was too early to be necessary.

The major thing I noticed is the shift in effective color temperature. Everything viewed through what remains of my left eye vision is much cooler, compared to my untreated right eye. 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...

Don't worry about it Jon. Few, very few people have color corrected monitors. With millions of colors, doubtful a handful of people view the images the same way. Then we have our own sight issues viewing too.

I remember years ago (I'm a hobby photographer), if you wanted warm tones you used Kodak film. If you wanted cool tones, you used Fuji. Digital photography threw that out the window!

I just got new glasses here in the past month. My ophthalmologist told me I'm a candidate for cataract surgery.... in the future. I figure if we all live long enough, we'll all be candidates

[JStelly]

Originally Posted by Bobbie54

To add a couple of things: it’s possible to get one eye for distance and one for close-up when they do the cataracts, but what my doctor said was that he would not do that unless you had tried it previously on either glasses or contact lenses because about 20% of people cannot get used to it and once you’ve done it on your cataracts then you have no choice. So if that sounds attractive put off the surgery long enough to try it with contacts first.

This is me. [emoji4]. I had worn contacts for years with one eye for distance and one eye for reading. When my right eye (distance) developed cataracts they replaced it with a distance lens. I now wear only one contact lens in my left eye for reading. Every year when I see my optometrist I ask him if my left eye is bad enough for surgery. It’s still ok so I’m still waiting. [emoji2955]

[Ron in BC]

Originally Posted by cpaharley2008

Interestingly, my eyes seemed to have gotten better as I have aged. Used to wear glasses, now only needed when driving. My yearly last 3 eye exams have shown -0- changes needed for my prescription!

Interesting, mine went the other direction. I've had glasses since Grade 8 and always had a driver's license with "corrective lenses" on it. 3 years ago I was told that my vision was good enough to drive without glasses and they sent a letter to the DMV. Now I have a license without any endorsements.

I'm so used to wearing glasses that I wear them from dawn to dusk. I've used them as safety goggles over the years and really pitted some of them up. Probably saved my eyes from damage.

Ron