Cataract surgery next week.

[trof]

Last edited Wed Aug 20, 2014, 06:56 PM - Edit history (1)

Mildly apprehensive.
Your experience?

[elleng]

1. HEY trof!

Waiting with some apprehension to make appointment to see a doc. Should have surgery done in next months, so I'm with you!

[No Vested Interest]

5. Me too. Was planning on Oct., but son just announced

that he'll be getting married in early Nov., so I'll wait until after that.
Every one says it's a piece of cake, but I'm concerned about the drops that will have to be put in the eye every four hours.
Also, how long will it be until I can safely drive?

Good luck, trof and elleng.

[elleng]

6. Thanks. Yes, wondering how long til I can drive,

cause have to drive 60 miles to my cottage and one daughter, and from MD to NJ to visit rest of family.

Docs I may go to describe process and recovery: http://www.repeye.com/procedureandrecovery.html

[RebelOne]

9. No problem driving after the eye drops.

I had to put two drops in my eye that was to be operated on four times a day and a different eye drop twice a day. And then had to go through the same ritual two weeks later for the other eye.

[TreasonousBastard]

2. Modern cataract surgery is painless...

(until you wake up, but then only for hours to maybe a day or so) and when it's over you see better than you ever did. I've had both eyes done and corrected from my original 20/200 while they were at it. It's pretty much foolproof these days.

You're apprehensive because someone's fooling with your eyes-- that's natural, but what you should be is waiting impatiently for the day when you can see like you're supposed to.

[valerief]

3. Had one eye done. I wish they'd given me more relaxant, because

mine took twice as long and I was awake when it was done. Took an hour or so. Otherwise, went well. Definitely, worth it.

Be ready to look at black dots for a couple of weeks. It's pretty freaky. Black dots--splots--right in front of your eye. But they fade as your brain decides to not see them anymore (at least, I think that's what happens).

Good luck.

[RebelOne]

10. I was awake during the surgery also.

The only thing I experienced was seeing different colors in my eye during the surgery. Why did it take so long for yours? Mine was only 10 minutes.

[valerief]

11. I can't remember what the doctor said. Maybe it was his error. Maybe I moved.

I'm just happy I can see clearly now and the black dots are gone.

[Crewleader]

4. Hi trof

It's scary when you don't know what to expect but ease your fears my friend.

Be prepared for all the eye drops before surgery and then a schedule of eye drops for weeks in each eye.

I was awake for my cataract surgery, my first one was the right eye, no pain and it was amazing I could see right away. My right eye had two different cataracts,one aggressive one that took my sight quickly.

Leaving my left with the regular cataract with blurry vision, straining to see.I had a bad infection for weeks with the left and I think it wasn't quite cleared with the surgery so that one wasn't has comfortable like the right one being done. And I didn't see until a few hours later.

My brother had cataract surgery a few years back and in his words, a piece a cake. He just recently had laser surgery cleaning his artificial lens to see again. And the good thing it only has to be done once and no more, a treatment of cleaning your windows you could say.

You'll do just fine.

[RebelOne]

13. The price of the eye drops was the only pain I felt in the wallet.

One little vial costs over $90. The other vial of drops was much cheaper.

[Crewleader]

14. Hi RebelOne

You had your surgery in March and I was in the middle of April then May, 2 weeks apart too. Yes indeed those eye drops are expensive and so was my Toric lenses, my insurance didn't cover those, I did out of pocket.

The price was worth it ridding me of my astigmatism.

[trof]

15. Did you have med insurance?

I do under Medicare.
I hope that will cover most of it.

[RebelOne]

20. I have Medicare but not the prescription insurance,

so all my medication was out of pocket. I did have to pay about $700 out of pocket for co-pays and eye drop prescriptions. But I am so thankful for Medicare because without it I would never have been able to afford the cataract operations.

[trof]

23. The three prescription eye drops cost $10 total w/ins.

[trof]

17. Yeah, I got full pre and post-op instructions with all the drops.

[Crewleader]

19. Let us know how you're doing when you can.

Best of luck to you and elleng....you both will really enjoy the clear vision afterwards.

[sinkingfeeling]

7. Really easy. Just have somebody to drive you home.

[RebelOne]

12. The hospital won't release you unless someone drives you home.

Plus your eyes are dilated, so you couldn't see to drive anyway.

[trof]

16. Miz t. is chauffer and caregiver.

The med facility asks about that.

[RebelOne]

8. I had both eyes done in March.

First the left eye and then two weeks later the right eye. Totally painless, so don't be apprehensive. I was terrified before the first operation and then knew what to expect before the second one. The only pain was when they stuck the IV into my hand.

[trof]

18. I'm getting the toric lense to fix astigmatism. $1500.

Medicare doesn't cover it.

[SheilaT]

21. Cataracts were the best thing that ever happened to my eyes.

I could not see the blackboard in first grade, wore glasses then contact lenses ever since. By the early 90's I knew I was beginning to grow cataracts, and two years ago they'd progressed to the point of needing surgery.

The eyes were done two weeks apart, which is fairly standard, but I could have had the second one done two days later. Within 24 hours both times I was seeing very well, and for the next year my vision simply got better. Yes, I need to wear reading glasses, but my distance vision is just astonishing. This week I'm in Portland, visiting my son who lives there, and in roaming around the city sightseeing with him, at two different locations I was watching the planes land at the airport, miles away. Two years ago I would not have seen the planes at all.

No pain at all, and I don't recall the first surgery at all, recall bits and pieces of the second. Yes, you will need to have someone drive you to and from, and they will not even do the surgery if your driver isn't there. Depending on exactly how quickly your eyes recover, you'll be driving in a day or two.

At 63, I was invariably the youngest person in the room at every appointment connected to the cataract surgery, by a minimum of ten years, and often by twenty. I think far too many people postpone the surgery because it was much more complex and with a more doubtful outcome a decade or more ago.

I'll repeat: Cataracts were the best thing that ever happened to my eyes.

[madmax]

22. Just finished up

1 month ago the left eye. 1 week ago the right eye. One day procedure, actually just a few hours. The hospital will make someone bring you home. They wouldn't allow me to even take a Taxi.

The drops - they'll drive you crazy. So many, different times. My Dr. gave me a chart. That certainly did help, a lot.

So far... I do see distance without glasses but, it's not as clear as I think it should be. Prior to surgery I saw perfect close up. Now it's awful. He did say I might need reading glasses. One trade off or another.

If there is enough astigmatism I could get Lasik and be done with glasses all together. Have to wait to find out.

Getting all sorts of over hauls and tuneups. The Old Chevy is ready for the Levy...

Good Luck and Best Wishes to you.

[trof]

24. Thanks for help and support. Post-op results here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/11831337