Going Under The Knife For Cataract Surgery

Tuesday, 03-05-25, so 3 day from now, I'm going in for the first of two cataract lens replacement surgeries on my not-the-dominate-eye. It will take only 10 minutes the Doc says. I realize that everything is a compromise but am looking forwards to being able to get up to go to the bathroom without wondering where I lost my glasses. I want far vision and will just use my existing glasses with 0 correction for normal far sight and just use what I am used to trifocals for near reading and arms length computer work. The good thing with be that I will be using some form of safety glasses as before.

I am looking forward to being able to use plain readers for overhead working on my sucky cars. 

I have something like -5.5 and -6 prescriptions. Anybody have good/bad/ugly stories?

How come my 10 year old dog has cataracts when it took me almost 70 years to get them and our eye lenses are virtually exactly the same other than our life longevity?

Any Stories/Horror stories/data/suggestions/help/encouragement? This doctor sounds like he is the best around.

I can't wait to be able to buy a nice set of binoculars so that I can finally look at the Andromeda Galaxy without needing to use my glasses against the eye pieces first. 

Your 10 year old dog is about 70 in human years, so.... right on target.

Nothing useful to add.  I've heard many a success story- looking forward to hearing yours!

I have nothing to add other than I am getting refractive lens replacement in four weeks and the doctor said it is close to the same procedure. The doctor is quite well known and has a very good record, and when I had my consultation I realized he was autistic which sealed the deal for me. He will not miss a detail. I think I am in good hands.

SkinnyG said:

Your 10 year old dog is about 70 in human years, so.... right on target.

Nothing useful to add.  I've heard many a success story- looking forward to hearing yours!

These doctors come in and after talking for about 10 minutes ask if you have any questions. What they say is a handful and takes a while to comprehend, so you can't think of anything to ask. So... here I am... Nurses and car guys are way better sources for information than any doctor. 

Successful outcome with multi-focal implants in 2020-- awesome not needing glasses or contact lenses for the first time in 50 years. The interim period with one eye fixed, one not, sucks though. 

Unfortunately, I may need vitrectomy in the next few years due to floaters and vitreous detachment.

HDC wife had the laser cataract surgery you describe at the end of 2017.  Very little to no pain was experienced.  The only "discomfort" involved was having to wear an eye patch for a number of days so she did not accidentally rub the eye while sleeping at night.  The ride home from the ophthalmologist upon removing the patch was thrilling, she read details out loud from every road sign and billboard we passed on the way home. Things she hadn't been able to see for decades.

However, vision in the eye that had the lens replaced began to deteriorate over the last few months.  We recently relocated and hadn't established care with a new ophthalmologist, until our annual routine eye exams two days ago.  Turns out that approximately 30% of individuals undergoing this procedure experience a slow delamination of a film (he called it "saran wrap") that was part of the new lense.  It appeared like rain drops on a car windshield through his microscope..  very common and easily corrected.  It took all of 5 minutes with his laser tool, looked and sounded just like he was playing a video game, and it was done.  No pain.  Her vision was 100% restored and she read me every road sign on the drive home.

In reply to VolvoHeretic :

Best of luck and medical science to you!

In reply to Karacticus :

Drink more water.  Seriously. It helped me. Didn't eliminate the floaters, but reduced them.

My wife had it done two years ago, and while they were in there they Lasik (?) one eye to focus for distance and the other for up close.  Your brain automatically sorts it out so you won't need glasses for either.

Good luck and ensure to do every bit of the follow up instructions.

Get the multi focal lens and you won't need readers. For some reason many drs don't suggest them. My insurance covered the basic lens, but I paid the difference of the lens itself and have those. It was @$600 each. The surgery itself was uneventful, and other than wearing a patch for a few days while sleeping, recovery was as well

If I had bad/ugly stories I wouldn't say anything - no need to add anxiety..... 😂 

Both my parents had cataracts. My dad got a lense replacement in both eyes (I can't remember what the procedure is called) about 15 years ago. Sometimes his eyes reflect light, like a cat's eyes. It's creepy haha. But his vision improved dramatically, like 15/20 in each eye. He said that some colors stand out better after the procedure. That man can spot a deer, standing in a brush line 300 yards from the highway while doing 65mph. It's amazing.

My mom had bad cataracts in both eyes too. She had the laser procedure done. But then the cataracts came back so they had to do it a second time. Her vision is still pretty poor even with glasses/contacts. She has macular degeneration, which is no doubt being accelerated by being a smoker. The laser procedure had a quick heal time; about 2 days IIRC.

The technology available today is amazing. 

I had mine done about 3 years ago, everything went smoothly and now 20/20 in one, 30/20 in the other.  That's right, I can see at 30' what most can see at 20!  I remember sitting in my office chair after getting home and counting leaves on the backyard trees while being amazed how bright the colors were and wondering "why couldn't they do both eyes?".  Only PITA was having to go back a week later for the other eye.  Only advice, make sure you have a good doctor... my wife had taken me, her cousin and another friend to one place in town all with great results, when it was time for her to do it she went to a different practice and hasn't been happy.  Still needs glasses though vision is no longer cloudy.  Only difference other than the doctor was that she had LASIK previously but not sure if that made any difference.

Good luck on Tuesday!

Steve_Jones said:

Get the multi focal lens and you won't need readers. For some reason many drs don't suggest them. My insurance covered the basic lens, but I paid the difference of the lens itself and have those. It was @$600 each. The surgery itself was uneventful, and other than wearing a patch for a few days while sleeping, recovery was as well

When I had it done the multi focal were way more expensive.  

Thanks guys, I'm still just getting the mono focus lenses. The multi focal lenses look way to complicated... one appears to make you look through what I would describe as a light house prism lens while others actually use your eye's muscles to bend the lens for near and far vision naturally. Plus way more than I can afford. The cynic in me doesn't trust new fangeled contraptions.

I wonder if I will be able to finally hit a baseball for the first time in my life whether pitched to me or if I throw it up into the air and swing at it. Up until now, the ball has always been a foot closer than where it appears. Footballs were always fun to try and catch. 

VolvoHeretic said:

 The cynic in me doesn't trust new fangeled contraptions.

I had it done 10 years ago, just pointing out it's not new.