Cataract surgery - WOW!

[loneryder]

I had one done about 3 years ago. About 5 years ago I was told that I had cataracts forming, but nothing beyond watching was needed at the time.

Then I had the detached retina. At the pre-surgery talk with the surgeon he noted that we'd probably be talking about cataract surgery in that eye in 3-5 years because there's something about the vitrectomy process that can accelerate cataract formation. Less than a year later my ophthalmologist said that the cataract had to come out soon because it went ballistic after the retina procedure and it was getting close to the point where they may not be able to remove it. Still waiting to do the other eye because the cataract is not yet "ripe."

The vision in the corrected eye is definitely improved - think "Dorothy landing in Oz and vivid color appears" improved. The other eye has a bit of a darker tint. Under normal conditions I can't really tell the difference, but I have noticed that if I'm not wearing glasses, under certain conditions I can see alternating vertical stripes of clear/tint/clear/tint in the field of view. Or if I'm looking at something with one eye, there is a difference in shading depending on which eye I'm using. I expect this to change when the other eye gets the surgery.

Definitely nothing to put off if the subject comes up with your vision provider.

A few short years after my cataract surgery, I had a secondary cataract appear in the left eye. Not uncommon. I had the YAG laser treatment which turned it into a million floaters. They eventually settled out. A couple of years later I had a detached retina in that eye. Just had my 6 month checkup from successful surgery. I asked the Dr. could the YAG laser RX have anything to do with the detached retina and she said yes. There's about a 10% chance that the laser Rx can cause a detached retina. The things they don't tell you! Now she verified that I have a secondary cataract in my right eye. It's affecting my vision. She suggested I wait as long as I can before getting the laser Rx in that eye. Now I'm a little scared to do it.
I post this to give people some questions to ask in these events.

 

[loneryder]

Yeah, it's a really quick procedure. I'm on 12 eye drops per day for the next week. Three different types.

Scott

Only a week? I had to do it for a month for each eye.

 

[slo town]

Only a week? I had to do it for a month for each eye.

Yep, just a week.

Scott

 

[alarmguy]

I figure I will be needing that in ~10 years or so. Maybe less (thanks!)! I whine only because I had exemplary perfect vision until around 45. No offense to others but it's been somewhat of a sheetshow the last 23 years. I mean I love/hate glasses. They correct just fine...but......

Anyway - GOOD ON YOU!!

Distance I still have 20/20
Reading every male over the age of 40 eyes lose the ability to close Focus
https://www.allaboutvision.com/eye-care/vision-health/how-vision-changes-with-age/

I wear multifocal contacts instead of putting on it taking off glasses all day

 

[opus1]

A few short years after my cataract surgery, I had a secondary cataract appear in the left eye. Not uncommon. I had the YAG laser treatment which turned it into a million floaters. They eventually settled out. A couple of years later I had a detached retina in that eye. Just had my 6 month checkup from successful surgery. I asked the Dr. could the YAG laser RX have anything to do with the detached retina and she said yes. There's about a 10% chance that the laser Rx can cause a detached retina. The things they don't tell you! Now she verified that I have a secondary cataract in my right eye. It's affecting my vision. She suggested I wait as long as I can before getting the laser Rx in that eye. Now I'm a little scared to do it.
I post this to give people some questions to ask in these events.

I had the YAG procedure about a year after the cataract surgery. Seems like once they have to touch something it starts a cycle of other issues...

 

[earlyre]

@slo town I thought we were too old for the procedure... If I can get rid of these readers I will be in 2nd Heaven!

Dad was either 79 or 80 when he had his done last fall/winter ( I don't remember when exactly, and where it was in relation to his birthday)

 

[Al]

Good decision to get it corrected so you can see long distance. Do the same with the other eye. They can do a better match if you goi for distance I believe. If it/they get cloudy in the future its a simple procedure to Lazor it off. They call it "Blowing off the dust"

 

[slo town]

Only a week? I had to do it for a month for each eye.

OMG, it's drops for a month. I don't know what I was thinking yesterday.

Scott

 

[fat biker]

I am right eye legally blind, Amblyopia. 20-800
had my left eye dobe in 2023 (worst year of my life)
WOW is right!
I will always remember that first walk around the block. Like black and white to Technicolor!
Will get the right eye done this year.

 

[jadmt]

for me it was reds, blues and greens that popped after the surgery..I was in my mid 50's when I had mine and at 67 still no tune ups needed...still better than 20/20 but need +2.25 readers..

 

[Joe1]

I had one eye done last year. Amazing results. I was driving down the road one day and thought l had a smudge of cooking oil or something on my glasses. Nope. It was my cataract going from bad to worse. I don't know why l waited so long.
The other eye is not severe yet, but I'll eventually get that one done

 

[vwmaniaman]

I had mine done a year ago in December and I still am amazed. I had 40-20 vision when I was younger and I could see at 40 feet what most see at 20 ft. I now have great vision again and for reading I have generic 1.75 glasses. I am amazed that I can read the license expiration tags on cars when they go by. My night vision is not great ever since I took metformin. It has partially recovered and now I can drive at night. Anyway I am so happy to have great vision again and now I just wish there was an equivalent procedure for hearing like ear drum replacement.

 

[doitmyself]

There's about a 10% chance that the laser Rx can cause a detached retina. The things they don't tell you!

Well, before my procedure as they were going through all the possibilities.............. "oh, and there's the possibility of death"...........just to cover all the bases.

Best wishes that your challenges are conquered with success.

 

[Chris142]

Glad it worked out good for you. A good friend of mine went from having a cateract to completely blind in that eye due to a botched surgery.

 

[4wd]

Well, before my procedure as they were going through all the possibilities.............. "oh, and there's the possibility of death"...........just to cover all the bases.

Best wishes that your challenges are conquered with success.

 

[slo town]

Well, before my procedure as they were going through all the possibilities.............. "oh, and there's the possibility of death"...........just to cover all the bases.

Best wishes that your challenges are conquered with success.

Glad it worked out good for you. A good friend of mine went from having a cateract to completely blind in that eye due to a botched surgery.

There's a risk for any medical procedure, or vaccine for that matter. A good friend of ours got an ordinary flu shot (not Covid) several years ago and contracted Guillian-Barre Syndrome. The first sign of impending disaster was her inability to cut her sandwich in half with a knife. I'll never forget that little detail. She went from a fit and trim, athletic 65 year old woman who loved to hike to someone who is nearly 100% paralyzed from the waist down and needs a walker to get around.

Scott

 

[berniedd]

I don't know why l waited so long.
The other eye is not severe yet, but I'll eventually get that one done.

Don't wait too long. I did, and the eye doctor said there's a higher risk of complications. The phacoemulsification machine power settings have to be set higher than usual because the cataract is denser. Higher power = more chance of collateral damage to the surrounding lens capsule. Fortunately, everything went well with the surgery.

 

[RitcheyRch]

Best thing I ever did and wish did it much sooner.

 

[The_Jeff]

Reading every male over the age of 40 eyes lose the ability to close Focus

Not everyone, something 10 inches away is my sweet spot and has been since I was in school, LOL. Makes my prescription a -3.5; for presbyopes it's the reciprocal in meters of how far you can see. 1/2 meter = -2, 1/3 meter= -3 etc.

OPs experience sounds a little "Clockwork Orange", I'd want a nice big Xanax before the event.

 

[Kira]

1) Had both done ~2 years ago; scheduled a week apart, L then R, on consecutive Fridays.
The L was slow to clear, so I canceled surgery on the R on Thursday afternoon.
The L cleared on Saturday morning; ergo 8 days to clear. Rescheduled the R for an even 4 Fridays apart.
The R was quite clear as I exited the hospital. Interesting.

2) If you've ever seen yellow street stripe paint splattered on a mudflap, you know what the back of my OE lenses looked like.
Globs of yellow, proteinaceous deposits piled high.
Oddly, I had no night driving probs (halos, etc.).
The symptom was ophthalmologists' inability to zero-in on a prescription due to the cataracts (a common tell-tale).

3) I was covered by insurance but paid a $1,000 premium per eye for astigmatism correction lenses.
I have a VERY mild prescription for reading now. People were quick to shriek "WHY ARE YOU WEARING GLASSES" at me.
I told them the resulting prescription was within promised boundaries AND that I wanted NOTHING to do with laser treatments.

My sister suffered from "over zapping" with the laser and she carries a jug of hot water and cloths with her so she can warm her eyes up to 4 times per day. That's not good.

FYI: Everybody in a white coat I could ask told me the failure rates for laser surgery is hush-hushed by the industry.

4) Things were indeed clearer. The sky and the stove's blue gas flame took on new depth.
The effect wears of as quickly as you'd expect.

5) The surgeon, who examined me ~2 weeks afterwards, was to reexamine me in a week -4/27/'26- but is out on maternity leave.
She'll take her second look come July.....and that's just fine with me.
I always bring cookies for the office. If I can find another "turtle light", the baby gets a gift.

NOTES:
The 4 procedures I had done, hernia mesh, right hip replacement, prostate aquablation and the cataract surgery have rejuvenated the once wretched carcass which joined this fine website.

Unlike slo town, I didn't elect to resemble a mysterious recluse and sit in corners. I wore my plastic cover proudly and went food shopping with my sister. She has a great fish guy.

Two patients scheduled ahead of me for the second surgery, failed to show. The surgery was done and I exited the hospital 15 minutes BEFORE my scheduled appointment time. The system MUST have our (mine and Mrs. Kira's) blemish-free punctuality noted on our charts. I know for a fact that I've been given 8AM appointments when that time had already been assigned. It works.