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Feeling nervous about my Cataract operation

Posted , 5 users are following.

sukes
sukes

Hi everyone,

I was referred for cataract removal and am feeling very nervous about it.  

I saw the Consultant on 21st June and he confirmed that my right eye needed to be done first, I was a bit shocked at this, as I didn't even know I had one in the left eye!  He said that the one in the right eye was a Dense Brunescent white cataract and when I asked if that made things easier or more difficult, he said more care was needed to remove it. 

I'm just hoping for some reassurance really. x

0 likes, 20 replies

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  • Katherine_10463
    Katherine_10463 sukes

    Posted

    You did not have any vision problems before going to this doctor? Can you get a second opinion? Meanwhile try to read as much as posible online, on the subject, to feel more comfortable about the treatment. Be strong! <3

    • sukes
      sukes Katherine_10463

      Posted

      Hi Katherine,

      yes I had vision problems and saw the optician a few times over 12 months as the sight in my right eye was deteriorating quite rapidly, it was her that referred me.  

      The silly part is, that my hubby had one done last year and I even (stupidly) watched a cataract op online.  It's just the label 'Dense Brunescent White'  and that he said more care was needed to remove it, that has spooked me. 

    • lin59
      lin59 sukes

      Posted

      I would never ever watch a cataract operation online. I can't even look at the still pics of it. Try not to worry (easy for me say since I'm worried about my own surgery but trying not to).

  • liz12234
    liz12234 sukes

    Posted

    I dont know where you are but here in Oxfordshire England no one seems to ask what is goin to be done,, patients and Drs say all will be fine. Well in my case it wasnt i had a dropped nucleus( every surgeons nitemare i read) had to go back next day for another Op i demanded an anesthitic couldnt face being on the table for an 1 1/2hrs again (only through talking to others did i know i could get one! Then the eye drops were exruciatingly painful even when changed. Took to my bed for a week i felt so ill, stopped doing drops kept my eye cleaned no one noticed and i recovered fine, not for everyone but worked for me. Not in a hurry to get other one done as you can guess!
    • sukes
      sukes liz12234

      Posted

      Hi Liz,

      Oh my goodness I'm sorry to hear of the problems you had, that must have been horrendous for you and I can understand your reluctance to get the other one done anytime soon.   

      I live in Devon and although the op will be funded through the NHS, iI had a choice of the hospital, so  it's being done at a private one, 10 minutes from me.

      The specialist nurse I saw before the Consultant took time to explain about what would happen on the day and how the Consultant often liked to give his patients a little something to calm them down if they were really stressed about it.

      I'm not looking forward to lying flat for very long either as I have unstable angina and Arthritis.  Oh well.

    • liz12234
      liz12234 sukes

      Posted

      Hi Hopefully yours will be ok, i understand it normally only takes 20mins trust me to be different, it seemed to go on for ever the first time really wished i had read up on it and asked more questions.
    • Katherine_10463
      Katherine_10463 sukes

      Posted

      They should give your some relaxant but surgery is not painful at all. 
  • at201
    at201 sukes

    Posted

    It is natural to be nervous about cataract surgery, just like any other surgery. However, a cataract surgery is an almost painless surgery. While my wife took a tranquilizer and was on an ivy to keep her relaxed during the surgery, I opted to not have any of those, thus choosing to stay alert during the surgery to be aware of what is going on. Never felt any pain during the cataract surgery.

     

    • sukes
      sukes at201

      Posted

      Thank you for that.  I'm pretty sure I will opt not to have anything apart from the injections around the eye as like you, I would like to be alert to what's happening.  

      I think what's really bothering me is the fact that it is a dense cataract as I don't really know what that means exactly. 

    • at201
      at201 sukes

      Posted

      I think that a dense cataract is just a cataract which is harder to see through than an "average" cataract, making it harder to examine the parts of the eye behind the cataract ahead of the surgery. Thus, it requires extra care and time from the surgeon during the cataract surgery.

      Some surgeons find it better to use photoemulsification with laser for removing the natural lens, specially for dense cataracts.  As one surgeon states, "I am a strong advocate of phacoemulsification on hyperdense cataracts in the United States, but studies have shown that expertly performed, manual, smallincision cataract surgery can be comparable in terms of efficacy."

    • Katherine_10463
      Katherine_10463 at201

      Posted

      It is important to kniw and trust the doctor, if not, get would get a second opinion. My doctor did not explain much before surgery and I was insanely anxious for no reason. The results are not excellent but ok. I am dealing with it though. 
    • Katherine_10463
      Katherine_10463 sukes

      Posted

      If it is dense, get it done asap so it will not get any denser. You will be fine if your trust your doctor. <3

    • sukes
      sukes Katherine_10463

      Posted

      I went on 21st June to see the Consultant, but they couldn't do the biometry measurement (whatever that is) that day, as someone was using the room where the equipment is housed, I now have to go for that on 17th July.  I asked how long the waiting list was, he said realistically, he wouldn't be able to do it before September, so I  told him that I could go in at short notice if someone cancels, so I'm hoping they have recorded that. 

  • lin59
    lin59 sukes

    Posted

    I'm having surgery in my right eye first and that has the worse cataract. My left eye also has a cataract but it's not as bad and I also didn't think anything was wrong with that eye until I was told there is.

    I looked it up and a brunescent cataract is a very advanced nuclear cataract. There are 3 types of cataracts besides congenital: nuclear, cortical and posterior capsular. I know I have posterior capsular and I think also cortical but I'm not positive about the cortical. The nuclear cataracts are the main ones that make the eye look cloudy I believe.

    • Katherine_10463
      Katherine_10463 lin59

      Posted

      I believe that all will be fine as long as you got a good surgeon! <3

    • lin59
      lin59

      Posted

      And even though it's very advanced, they do these surgeries all the time and I'm sure you'll be fine.

    • sukes
      sukes lin59

      Posted

      Thanks for that Nina.  Do you have a date for your op yet. 
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