What can I expect - Stories please

Whether or not you should go ahead is entirely up to you, your doctor, and how bad your vision is.Mine got so bad that it affected my life and I simply didn't want to put up with it any longer. As for pain during the actual procedure, there really isn't any believe it or not. It's probably less painful than a mild massage. On a pain scale (10 being highest) I'd put cataract surgery at around a zero to 1. It's all over in about 10 to 15 minutes. I wish you the best.

IG

Hi

Just joined this topic. After long distance glasses for many years with above average close-up vision these reversed somewhat a few years back. From then to now I did not require optics to drive but needed magnification for small print. Now approaching 76 I have been under 6 monthly review for approaching cataracts, macular and small hole in retina for a couple of years. Prednisone for Polymyalgia Rheumatica advanced cataract issue and I am to commence surgery next week. I too have satisfactory personal vision and all my old glasses allow me to see everything I need to and up-close I get by. I appreciate the very small risk and a better outcome generally but am reluctant to go forward as it all doesn’t seem worth the effort. I avoided the concern over which lens as my macular/retina issue appears to take multi-vision lens out of the proposition. Am in Australia and my private health cover will reduce costs to where that will not be a significant issue. The op for the macular issue was said to take an hour but is not being undertaken for some reason at this juncture so it’s just hopefully 10 minutes a pop but there’s a lot of toings and goings that will make an issue of it.

It takes so much of aging lives just to maintain our bodies. For Prostate Cancer’s treatments and mistreatments, ongoing incontinence, Polymyalgia Rheumatica, Hypertension, Diabetes, Teeth, Oesteo Arthritis in so many joints and now the eyes have it. Exercise for diabetes and to take the strain off knees just makes them worse and I have been avoiding replacement there for a decade.

I will post how this one works out.

Barrie Heslop

Hi Cath55617

Good news is you have time to decide. Cataracts not life threatening and the procedure itself is painless (I too was terrified - diagnosed with cataracts at 53). Had surgery on both eyes 6 weeks apart with 8 months if being diagnosed.

what you should read up on is type of lens you want and research clinic or surgeon doing procedure unless you have national health coverage and having this procedure covered by them and even then I would read up on it so that you can ask questions. I say that because it is not easy to extract the lens you choose and you cannot try them out unfortunately.

There are trade-offs to make no matter which lens you choose (or in case of monofocal standard lenses if having done by national health - which focal point you want to see well at: distance intermediate or near as you'll require glasses for the other distances.

I live in canada so this procedure is covered for standard lenses and we can pay difference in cost of lens if we opt for a multifocal or extended depth of focus lens. It is only covered if our eyesight is affected bad enough that we can't be corrected with contacts or glasses better than 20/40. My eyes were both worse than that do had no choice but to have cataract surgery or lose my drivers lic.

There are lits of good posts here and online information. please take your time to understand your options and what you want life to be like after surgery. Take into account your job (is a lot of that looking st computer (intermediate vision) or driving (distance vision) or do you have a hobby like sewing or quilting where near vision is important.

Wish you all the best. A lot of us are still here after our surgeries to be a support and help with questions (although we all were/are patients like you) so cannot offer professional advice - just share our experiences. I found much support here as I hope you will too.

I had my first surgery about a year ago. My doctor's surgery doesn't require drops after. There is something implanted on your bottom eyelid that does the same thing as the drops would have. There were lots of drops before but I wasn't aware of the surgery happening. One problem that I did have a month or so after both of my surgeries was styes. I had to treat them for weeks but since they are gone I am fine. I do have to use Artificial Tears for dry eyes every day. Best of luck with your surgery.

My optician has been monitoring my slowly developing cataracts over the

last few years and last September suggested it might be better for me

to try and have the operations on both eyes.

Over the past year or so I had noticed that I couldn't read very well the

type on our television ('Pointless' has a lot of it in the questions)

and realised my eye sight was deteriorating.

I still seemed capable driving in the UK and abroad wearing glasses

without any worries but I knew this couldn't continue for much longer

without surgery.

The Optician wrote a letter to my GP and he refereed me to the local

Hospital.

I don't know what criteria they use to determine the starting point for

a cataract operation but at our local Hospital it seemed that a

letter of concern from an Optician and agreement by a GP starts the

process.

After visiting the Hospital Eye Centre and having an eye test (reading the

letters on a board), high definition pictures taken of my eyes to

determine the lenses required and a consultation with the Cataract

Consultant I was booked in to have the operation on both eyes.

The first eye was operated on early in January and after four weeks the

operation was deemed a success and I was booked in for the second

eye's cataract removal.

This was done a few days ago and seems to be problem free (touch wood) and

I return for a check-up in about a months time.

The procedure - six of us were grouped in the Hospital day ward, ages

from 51 to 85, and our details were checked and questions asked

about our medical history and any recent health problems.

The eye that was to be operate on, decided at a previous meeting with the

surgeon, was marked on the forehead with a marker pen arrow above the

correct eye.

A small pellet is placed inside the lower eyelid and assists the eye to

dilate – this is done at least one hour before surgery.

Our blood pressure was taken and deemed in order.

You go in to have surgery in order, number six had a long wait, and lie

on a trolley in an ante-room.

No clothes and shoes needed to be removed.

The head is positioned in a moulded shaped block, pillows placed under

the knees to support them, side panel raised to stop lateral

movement, a hair net over your hair and anaesthetics drops applied

into your eye.

Within a few minutes you are pushed into the operating room and a gown is

draped over your body and an oxygen pipe placed near, but not over,

your face.

The Surgeon will reassure you and commence by putting a mask over your

face which 'seals' your eyelids apart and stops you from shutting the

eye.

He then proceeds by shining a bright light into the eye and you see

three shapes – two small round ones and a square one – and are

asked to concentrate on looking at the square shape.

You can feel something happening to your eye but I felt no pain or real

discomfort during the operation.

My second operation lasted 17 minutes.

A protective plastic eye shield is taped over the eye and needs to be

left there until the following morning to avoid you inadvertently

rubbing the eye.

When he has finished you are again reassured and taken to a side ward,

where the blood pressure is checked, and then if required its

tea/coffee and toast.

You wait while your medication is prepared, drops to be taken for about a

month, and this takes only a few minutes before you are discharged.

You are given a full list of instructions regarding the drops and

frequency of applying them, told to wear the eye shield at night in

bed for a week, given telephone numbers in case of any problems and

leaflets that you can read if needing advice and help.

I will need glasses, both eyes have astigmatism, and while I wait for

new glasses I have blurred vision but can't get any replacement

glasses for around 6 – 8 weeks after the operation and then having

them checked by the Eye Centre Nurse Practitioner.

With the first eye she has written a letter that explains to an Optician

my eyes condition and data that will be relevant to obtaining

glasses.

At the moment I'm not able to drive, read books or newspapers and I need

to increase the size of type on my PC and tablet.

But I am quietly confident that within a couple of months I will have

much better eyesight than I've had in the last decade or longer.

In these modern days the operation is something that is done by the

skilled surgeons as a matter of course on a daily basis and any

problems are minimal.

I wish I'd had it done years ago and would encourage anyone having

doubts or worries to have it done to give you a better quality of

sight and life.

I am a 77 year old male with a pacemaker for AF, have Heart Failure and

take a blood thinner.

Apologies if this is considered the ramblings of an old man – but you did ask

the question.

Hope this helps