Anyone had cataract surgery?

[Bat-mite]

My left eye is getting worse and worse -- poor accuity, dimness, haziness. I can't put off cataract surgery much longer.

Anyone had it and care to share experiences?

 

[Steve Shannon]

My mother and wife both had it. Super easy and vast improvement for my mother. My wife had poor vision even before cataracts so not as noticeable of an improvement.

 

[Zeus-cat]

I just saw a segment on 60 Minutes yesterday about two doctors doing mass cataract surgeries in third world countries. About 5 minutes a patient using what amounted to an assembly line. Fast, cheap (estimated about $20 a person) and great results. The two doctors have done an estimated 150,000 cataract surgeries and trained other doctors who have done millions more. Life changing surgeries for the people. Not only do they get their vision back, but the family member or friend helping them now has their life back too. Massive good being done by these two guys and their teams. The surgery looked ridiculously easy and I would say go for it as soon as you can.

 

[crossfire]

I Have had both eyes done. I wore glasses since the 1st grade. It was done 3 years ago and if not for reading I almost don't need glasses. If you go with the standard lens you for sure will need readers. There is a new lens out there that have bi-focal lens in them but my eye Doc. didn't recommend them. There are side affects that can happen. Retina detachment, macular hole. I have had both in the same eye. but my eye site is still almost 20/20. It is very simple to have done with in 3 days your eye site will be very good. and its painless

Good Luck

 

[OverTheTop]

My father-inlaw had it done in both eyes. Fantastic result. No side effects. That was about 12 years ago, and I believe the lenses are better these days.

 

[blackwing94]

I had it done about 3 years ago at age 55. I've worn distance glasses since the 5th grade. I started wearing reading glasses around age 50. The doc gave me the option of seeing 20/20 for distance in both eyes, or 20/20 in one eye and a close in reading lens in the other eye. He said your mind adjusts to one eye working for distance and one eye working for reading. It sounded to complicated to me, and I was already used to wearing reading glasses anyway. Plus I think a grandfather looks good in reading glasses. I got the distance lenses in both eyes. I had one eye done one week and the other eye done the following week. No pain. It was pretty simple.

For the first time in my life I was able to buy off the shelf sun glasses!!!! Wow. 3 years later I'm still 20/20. It was an eyesight upgrade I'm glad I did.

Good luck.

 

[Nathan]

I had cataract surgery 8 years ago. I wore glasses since elementary school. My vision was minus 8 diopters before cataract surgery, now it is 20-20. The procedure is very quick and totally painless. The insurance company only paid for basic lenses and I got what they call "accommodating" lenses which supposedly allow your eyes to focus like natural lenses so it cost me about $5000 out of pocket. I can't say if the accomodating lenses really make a difference because I have nothing to compare it to. But I have no complaints.

 

[hornet driver]

Wow this is a timely post! Deb was diagnosed with cataracts a couple of weeks ago. Looks like the procedure is fairly simple and quick. That said, it appears to be expensive.

 

[ksaves2]

Yeah, I had it at age 54. Mom had it at 55 brother had it at 50. Don't know why we're prone to them. We're not diabetic, we didn't get exposed to too much UV light. It happened.

I couldn't read a "No Parking" sign unless it was even with the bumper of my care. It's a piece o' cake if you don't have dry eye syndrome to start with. (I did and it flared after the first one but I made it through)

If you are modestly near sighted you can "pay extra" and get implants that are flexible and you can focus then negating the need for reading glasses. Me I was so far-sighted I knew upfront that wouldn't be possible
so I use readers.

Nice to be able to track a rocket better now and I lost a rocket because I missed a leg on an ematch with a deployment device that didn't do directed continuity beeps. You'll like the results. Kurt

 

[jd2cylman]

My dad had it done with the corrective lenses. He's had spots in his vision ever since and now has quit driving at night. He was 74 when he had it done, so maybe too late for him?

 

[T-Rex]

I had mine done a few years back. No reason to put it off. (though I did, just like everybody else does) Quick, painless and you can see the next day. I still have some minor astigmatism, but it doesn't bother me. 20/20 in both eyes according to the Doc. The one I let get bad seems like it is not quite 20/20, maybe 20/30, but that might be due to the astigmatism..

The surgery itself.... They will only do one eye at a time. You cannot drive until they tell you it is OK, for me that was right after the bandage came off the next day.
They knocked me out and numbed my eye, then woke me up. The best way I can describe is that with my eye asleep, I could see swirling clouds, like the blast of the stargate opening in SG-1. I was awake for the surgery, the Doc talked to me a little during to make sure I was OK. He worked for a few minutes then said we were done. Rolled into recovery, Mrs drove me home & I took a nap. Next day the bandage was removed and I could see. Drops in your eyes for a couple weeks to help with healing. If you are diabetic, make sure they know! I had a reaction to one of the drops the first go because of diabetes, Doc says it is common.

 

[modeltrains]

I haven't but Dad has. He had commented that colors looked more vivid and what he said he would call about 3% bluer in general. Which jibes with where I once read that lenses can let pass a small percentage more UV light than the lenses issued at birth.

 

[Bat-mite]

Thanks, everyone. I am diabetic, plus both my parents had cataracts, so I was bound to. My only question is how long to wait. I guess that will depend on the insurance company, so some extent.

Nathan, I didn't know about the different kinds of lenses. Good info, thanks.

 

[TheTellurian]

From Wikipedia:

Unreviewed studies and claims

The Professor Wang et al. clinical trial study called 'Use of carnosine as a natural anti-senescence drug for human beings' was carried out on 96 patients with cataracts of varying degrees of severity, which showed a success rate of 80% in advanced senile cataracts, and 100% in patients with mild to moderate cataracts, over the 6 months trial period.[20]

Certainly helps my visual acuity but YMMV.


Richard

 

[Steve Shannon]

Thanks, everyone. I am diabetic, plus both my parents had cataracts, so I was bound to. My only question is how long to wait. I guess that will depend on the insurance company, so some extent.

Nathan, I didn't know about the different kinds of lenses. Good info, thanks.

My wife had extreme astigmatism. She opted for corrective implant lenses that cost $850/eye. They were not flexible and cannot be focused like her original lenses, but they helped her astigmatism.
She chose to have her resting focus established at roughly arms length for sewing for one eye and eight feet for the other eye. That allows her to do her hobbies without corrective lenses.

 

[Sparky]

I had both eyes done about 2 years ago. The eye with only the cataract done took 15 minutes and is good. The other eye had other issues that were being repaired, and caused the cataract to have to be replaced at the same time.

I highly recommend it.

My Dad has the univision (one eye one focus, other eye closer or further away). He's worked well with that for several years and no glasses.

 

[brettskij]

i had cataract in one eye, so had it sorted as it was sending the other eye out of focus, ie no real detail or colour.
Now i have a light sensitive eye due to the operation, as i had a standard nhs lense fitted.
If you have got the money buy the auto focusing lens so you can read with both eyes .
i think they also do one with a u v protection.
can any one feel it when they rub their eye ?

 

[ksaves2]

i had cataract in one eye, so had it sorted as it was sending the other eye out of focus, ie no real detail or colour.
Now i have a light sensitive eye due to the operation, as i had a standard nhs lense fitted.
If you have got the money buy the auto focusing lens so you can read with both eyes .
i think they also do one with a u v protection.
can any one feel it when they rub their eye ?

No you can't or shouldn't be able to feel it. I couldn't ever wear contact lenses in the past due to a tear issue but the IOL (intra-ocular lens) did the trick. If querying about the focusing lens be sure to ask if one's prescription lends itself to its use.
I was very far sighted and it was recommend I not go with it as it likely wouldn't have worked well. Those who have them really like them. No reading glasses required. Kurt

 

[DavidMcCann]

I had cataract surgery 8 years ago. I wore glasses since elementary school. My vision was minus 8 diopters before cataract surgery, now it is 20-20. The procedure is very quick and totally painless. The insurance company only paid for basic lenses and I got what they call "accommodating" lenses which supposedly allow your eyes to focus like natural lenses so it cost me about $5000 out of pocket. I can't say if the accomodating lenses really make a difference because I have nothing to compare it to. But I have no complaints.

This guys paint jobs are terrible. I wouldn't do anything he had done to his eyes....

 

[Bat-mite]

Not to mention he likes landing in bucket loaders....

 

[brettskij]

Cool thanks for the reply K i have just ordered glasse's with the lense that changes with u v light as the one i had operated on picks up on bright light a bit more than the other one, plus i need to look cool for a picture i am taking for my book that is to be published called urban rhymes, had to get that in as well chuffed
its being released in may -june 2018, keep an eye out for it lol ( ok, un funny joke alert) sorry ill keep a lid on it.

Any ideas on a simple easy to use rocket for a first timer please? i have approx 100 to 250 to spend is that enough?, looks loads of fun

 

[Bat-mite]

Cool thanks for the reply K i have just ordered glasse's with the lense that changes with u v light as the one i had operated on picks up on bright light a bit more than the other one, plus i need to look cool for a picture i am taking for my book that is to be published called urban rhymes, had to get that in as well chuffed
its being released in may -june 2018, keep an eye out for it lol ( ok, un funny joke alert) sorry ill keep a lid on it.

Any ideas on a simple easy to use rocket for a first timer please? i have approx 100 to 250 to spend is that enough?, looks loads of fun

Please start a new thread for that. This thread won't get many hits unless people are interested in cataract treatment.

 

[KarlS]

I had both eyes done several years ago. I drive a charter bus with up to 52 passengers and I don't have to wear glasses to pass the DOT physical or the DMV license.

 

[MaxQ]

My left eye is getting worse and worse -- poor accuity, dimness, haziness. I can't put off cataract surgery much longer.

Anyone had it and care to share experiences?

John - my wife had cataract surgery in March...both eyes, one after the other - left eye first, right eye next - two weeks apart.

She had a lot of trepidation prior - but it wasn't as anywhere as daunting as she feared.
I assisted post op with her periodic eye drops for the first two days - then the evening she took the patch off her left eye - she was so overwhelmed with how wonderful her eyesight was afterwards, she practically broke into tears.
She had been keeping the deterioration in her eyesight from me...avoiding the surgery. When she couldn't drive at night anymore or read signs she agreed to do something about it.

She doesn't need corrective lens for far away anymore...only for reading.
She always remarks how great her eyesight is now, wishes she had done it sooner.

If you have specific questions feel free to PM me...my wife can elaborate on her experience.

 

[Bat-mite]

I think I am sure that I want to do it. The question now is when? I can see fine with glasses, but my prescription changes very rapidly. So my glasses work for a few months, then start slowly getting worse. I don't know if my ophthalmologist would agree to do it while I can still get correction with glasses. I don't have night-driving problems. It's just annoying as all get-out to get a new pair of glasses, then have them start losing their effectiveness after six months.

My next check-up is due in February. I guess I will wait till then and bring it up and see what she says.

 

[ksaves2]

Gotta be 20/40 or less before insurance will cover it. Take a good look in the mirror before and after the procedure 'cause you'll see you age 15 years older overnight! Kurt