Cataract surgery isn't exactly a walk in the park.
Posted , 8 users are following.
I'm shocked by how many people have had rather devastating outcomes. Prior to my cataract surgery, I believed this procedure was all but risk free.
Ever since LASIK came on the market and people were suddenly able to see without glasses/contact lenses after a procedure that took literally minutes, somethjng changed. Maybe we became a bit complacent, I don't know.
The fact remains that regardless of the method, surgery is surgery and there will always be very real risks. Nobody will ever care as much about your eyes, as you.
1 like, 27 replies
johnvnpt janet1974
Posted
Janet
I really ought to write my experiences down, i did in fact promise i would do that for the RNIB in the UK because I owe them a debt for the information they provided to me when I could not find it elsewhere, and although i felt a bit of a fraud contacting them, they made it clear they did not see it that way, as if I did not have the treatment, I would be in all probability fully qualified to make use of their services in a few years, and if i did, then by THEIR judgement the risk of going blind was there, and thus I was in no way fraudulent in seeking their counsel.
Of course, they may have an absurdly low threshold for making that judgement or they may have said that to make me feel better, but I think there are two things I would say in response to your post.
The first is that having now had both eyes operated on for cataract removal I can say with absolute authority that at EVERY stage it was made clear to me that there were risks; I suppose I deserved what I got, because I asked the man to be blunt, because I was brought up by parents who were anything but, and this made problems all of its own.
In short. I was told outright, although not in this blunt a way, that a certain percentage of operations go wrong, that the things that go wrong were a,b and c, that the chances of that were x, y and z in the typical patient, but that my case made it TEN TIMES more likely that i would have these complications because the sight was so myopic to start with.
In my right eye, I did inded have the most serious of complications, requiring emergency surgery, and my condition was made all the worse by the idiot at the eye clinic to whom i was told to refer in the first instance assuring me the symptoms of my DETACHED RETINA were in fact entirely normal and nothing ot worry about. When my optician did my clinical assessment, did not like what they saw, refered me back to the surgeon and he took a look, he went absolutely incandescent.
The surgery for the drtached retina carried a 30% risk of failure after which a subsequent attempt could be made with an icncreased risk but the end game was indeed blindness, as was the end game if i refused the surgery.
AT NO POINT was I ever told the surgery was risk free, far from it.
The second thing i would say is I was told outright both face to face by the surgeon and in writing in the information given that if I declined thwe surgery, the progress would be slow, but inexorable, and blindness, or as near as blindness as made no difference, was the inevitable outcome.
In fact the welsh NHS is so badly managed and the delays for treatment under our devoved government do long delayed, both I and a friend of mine went blind waiting for the treatment and lost our jobs (we had previously been rather high level IT consultants, but it's not easy to install a nuclear power station, or build a frigate's radar, or assemble a tank when you canlt see where the reactor rods, radar mast, or gun barrel are, is it ...)
I would stress the way I was given this information was not remotely as bluntly as I have stated here, but I was left in no doubt of the risks, and the consequences of action and inaction alike, and I chose to authorise the procedures knowing the risks,and knowing the alternatives.
Now, I have seen some advertisements on the web, that on the face of it seem to offer cataract type surgery as an alternative to contact lenses ! I hope I misread them, for that seems ot me to trivialise the risks in the way your post suggests does occur, if these are what I think them to be, then yes, I am concerned, but again, I would reiterate in the processes I have undergone, no-one has tried to tricvialise the procedure nor the risks involved.
I would also say the two people i do not blame in any regard for the procedure that went awry are the surgeon and his anaesthetist; i'm sure in american circles lawyers would have made their lives hell, but I do not hold them to blame for what they candidly state was a problem in the process. (In my right eye, either a physical or a pressure injury during the anesthesia or the procedure itself damaged a capillary, and the blood, and more to the point the plasma, that leaked started to prise the retina off) I file this unfortunate event very much under "s**t happens" rather than "malpractice", and although I needed further surgery, thankfully it worked and left me with perfect clarity to the extent i can see individual branches in the tops of trees several miles away, in the months agter the emergency vitrectomy Isaw for the first time the hundreds of shades of golden brown in the autumn leaves that adorn the deciduous trees of the welsh hills in the early autumn and i can see military aircraft in the sky by the disturbance their hot engines make against the cold air in which they fly BEFORE it becomes a contrail ... In short, I have no regrets at all.
As someone born myopic -10 in one eye and -6 in the other, I'm looking forward to trying golf now i can see with the naked eye just how lousy a player i would be if I played the game ... I'll end by saying in the situation I have found myself, that sort of sense of humoir is invaluable.
If you face the procedure, I hope you have a far less complicated path to walk than mine, but my final words to you would be that almost the worst thing that could possibly go wrong went wrong for me, and several other things did as well along the way, yet here I am today, able to stand in my front garden and see the top branch of a tree four or five miles away move as a bird lands on it. Admttedly as hawk, not a sparrow ...
Sue.An johnvnpt
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peggy90432 johnvnpt
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janet1974 johnvnpt
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Hi John,
What a hoot 😂 you are...and also, spot on when it comes to humor. If I weren't able to laugh myself silly several hundred times a day, you'd probably find me at the local pub drowning my sorrows! I guess the upshot of that is a person doesn't need to see much in there as it's dark, anyway😜
While your response is much appreciated, I don't really understand what you're trying to tell me. I'm not totally sure what agencies you're referring to. And, I'm kind of confused as to the outcome of your surgery. At first I thought you'd gone blind, but clearly the end of your post says that wasn't the case. (And, what a fabulous outcome it was).
I'm curious about the situation with your retina. Was the problem a result of some kind of surgery?
The surgeon told me of risks and every surgery has them. However, in retrospect, they were presented in a manner that felt to me more like a, "we're required by law to tell you, blah, blah, blah". Keep in mind that we've been conditioned over here to believe that cataract/laser surgery is one of the safest. In my mind, the possible side effects were hardly worth a second thought
In a nutshell, there have been too many inconsistencies for me to believe all went as it should. No flipping way would anyone ask for a surgery to make their vision as bad as possible
You asked about how LASIK is advertised here. Other Minnesotans can correct me if they see it differently. It is ABSOLUTELY touted as a perfectly acceptable alternative to corrective lenses.
Also, the surgeon told me that my cataracts were no where near the point where surgery was necessary, but why would I want to wait until my vision was compromised. I asked him why the optometrist had told me that there were cataracts just beginning to form. (About 1 week prior to my appt with him) He said, and I quote, "Remember, they're in the business of selling glasses". Had I a brain in my head, I would have returned with asking him if that was really any different than him selling LASIK.
Honestly, if he would have known that I wasn't going to go with the laser, I don't think he would have suggested the surgery to me at all!
Very much enjoyed your post.
All the best to you!
Sue.An janet1974
Posted
Janet - here in Canada Lasik is touted as an alternative to glasses. But it does cost more. Cataract surgery is not same. Your eyesight has to have deteriorated to a point where glasses won't correct eyesight in order for Medicare to cover the cataract surgery plus standard lens. Otherwise patient liable for entire expense.
sukes janet1974
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I must admit, I've read quite a bit just lately about things not going entirely to plan and as I'm expecting to have mine done very soon, it has worried me a bit.
johnvnpt sukes
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I recall I was absolutely terrified in the run-up to the first op and when it went wrong I was even worse.
But in reality the worst part to endure is the bit where they put the drops in the eye to expand the pupil... You're sitting round waiting for that to take effect... it's like being at the dentist knowing the tooth has to come out, waiting for the jab to take effect so it can be done ...
Today I would simply paraphrase the words that the Royal National Institute for the Blind put intheir information leaflet.
Like all surgery this procedure does carry a degree of risk, although in almost all cases there is something that can be done if things go wrong, and if that corrective action fails on the first attemot, it can be reattempted, but you should always discuss these issues openly with your health professional proposing to carry out the treatment.
janet1974 sukes
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Hi Sukes,
I think one of the great benefits of this site ,is that it gives people a yellow 🚦light. (😂Unintentional poetic moment! Lol) I would have paused and put a lot more thought into questions for the surgeon. Instead, I sort of half listened to what he was saying because the words that were coming out of his mouth were basically Greek, to me.
There have been far more successful cataract surgeries, than disastrous, so I don't think you should give up on the operation, completely. I do think, however, you're going to want to arm yourself with as much info as possible so you can go into it as an informed patient.
Best of luck!
Vickiplum janet1974
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janet1974 Vickiplum
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🙁 So sorry for the complications😔
Sue.An Vickiplum
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Shae280 janet1974
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lin59 Shae280
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I'm not sure what she meant but I assume either.
janet1974 Shae280
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The cataracts I had were just beginning and wouldn't have needed surgery for a number of years. (That was my ophthalmologist's opinion, and he followed up by saying there wasn't really any point in waiting for vision to be severely compromised). He performed traditional scalpel surgery and implanted basic lens.
As I understand it, LASIK is the procedure for people who would like to be rid of corrective lenses.
At this point, I'm really confused. I don't know if it's laser or LASIK that he planned on doing when I was considering out of pocket pay. Further, I didn't know any kind of tweaking was possible without laser, which really confuses me. Also, the nurse told me they had eliminated my astigmatism in the surgery, but when I had the initial exam, the doctor told me my astigmatism was negligible.
This I do know for certain: When the Doc told me I got what I asked for, I could only shake my head. I know I'm of average intelligence and pretty ordinary in every way, so it's doubtful I'd be about the only one who'd be upset with the vision I was left with. He said that my near vision would be "slightly less" than now, but distance would be greatly improved. If "slightly" means virtually gone, he should have made it abundantly clear.
I truly believed everything he told me. He's a renowned surgeon who has even invented a device for the Femto-ritzerfitz (I don't recall the full name of the machine). But, he's still a person and people make mistakes. Trying to make my point with him is very intimidating. Hope that helps explain my situation. Sorry for my confusing info.
Sue.An janet1974
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Have you sought another opinion? It wasn't right for him to say why wait when you didn't need cataract surgery. Lasik is different and is primarily for those that want to eliminate need for glasses or contacts. What I have learned through cataract surgery is people mayvwantbtobrethink lasik. Seems a lot of those with priorvlasik done aren't candidates for premium lenses when it is time for cataract surgery. Perhaps once technology is better but not at momement.
Your opthamologist no matter how renowned was not thinking in your best interest. You should have been cautioned more than you were.
janet1974 Sue.An
Posted
I did go for another consult. It was like pulling teeth, but I continued asking the new doc if my near vision was typical of what most people would request or be happy with. She danced around and around, but she finally did say my near vision was pretty bad, and no....she was pretty certain it wouldn't be her preference. 😜
Sue.An janet1974
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An explant of a lens comes with additional risk. Is there anything that can be done by laser (if u got a premium lens like Symfony or a multifocal) to tweak your near vision that would improve it?