<p>Though Im only 56 (a veritable kid, right?), Ive been diagnosed with a significant cataract in one eye. Im about to schedule surgery but would love hearing any hints, suggestions, or experiences from anyone whos already done this.</p>
<p>Im especially interested in what happens post-surgery. I have moderate myopia in both eyes and have always worn glasses. Ive been told that my sight in the affected eye could actually become normal after surgery so Im envisioning myself staggering into inanimate objects if I put on my current glasses, which will be too strong in that eye or staggering into those same objects if I dont wear glasses, because the other eye will still be near-sighted. Some people have said that it takes a while to determine exactly what my eyeglass prescription should be after surgery. Which is fine, but Im still wondering how Im going to see in the interim. Any pointers?</p>
<p>What a thing to be ahead of the curve on. :rolleyes:</p>
<p>No direct experience, but I know two relatives who have had surgery (having had one eye done at a time). Both ended up without needing glasses for distance, both wear them for reading still. Between the two eye surgeries (so maybe a bit like your situation) it was awkward since their old glasses worked for one eye but not the other. </p>
<p>I’m just shooting in the dark here, but do most people have a dominant eye and might yours be (or become) the one that will now have the better sight? If not, would you just have a new prescription, with different lens for each eye?</p>
<p>I had cataract surgery at 51 (I turn 65 on Saturday). I highly recommend it <g>. </g></p>
<p>I had both eyes done, a couple of weeks apart. I waited so long that I was nearly blind before getting the first eye done. Since I couldn’t see anything out of the second eye anyway, I just threw away my glasses and put a patch over the bad eye. I would imagine you could just pop one of the lens out of your current glasses until you get new ones.</p>
<p>You’re correct in that the sight in the affected eye could become “normal.” I haven’t worn distance glasses since the surgery. At my request, the doctor set the lens in one eye for 20/20 distance vision and in the other eye for computer monitor distance. I do need cheaters for reading, although I can, if necessary, read all but the smallest print unaided.</p>
<p>Post-surgery, everything looked a little pink for a day or two. I had a mild headache the evening after each surgery, but nothing that a couple of Tylenol couldn’t handle.</p>
<p>Well frazzled, Im way ahead of you on that curve. I had cataract surgery on both eyes in my early 40s. They call them juvenile cataracts. The procedure and the recovery are a breeze, and yes it will take a while for your eye to stabilize. You might need to have your prescription changed more than once.</p>
<p>My eyes were operated on 6 months apart, so post surgery I wore a contact lens in my non-operated eye only until I got the OK from the doctor to start wearing one in the operated eye. As far as bumping into things, it wasnt a problem. Your strong eye will take over for your weaker one. </p>
<p>I had high myopia prior to the surgery and my eyes, though not 20/20, are significantly improved with the corrective implant. One side effect I have found is that it takes my eyes longer to adjust to extremes in lighting such as entering/exiting a dark theater. Also, in my case anyway, depth perception is a little off. I need to take care on stairs, especially in low light situations.</p>
<p>Like earlier posters, I too had cataracts surgery. For me, I’m blind as a bat (although night vision is terrible too). I was enjoying the transition lenses I got, but my eye became too cloudy. </p>
<p>So for now, I have one eye corrected with a daily contact and the other corrected cataracts. My doctor said I would never adjust with glasses, even if one side had nothing by clear glass. Although I suppose my eyes are better, I absolutely do not like what I’ve got: I still need reading glasses, one eye can kinda see a slight distance like my food in front of me or the computer screen, and the other eye with the contact is good for distance but awful for anything close or kinda close.</p>
<p>Life was simpler when I was younger. Why didn’t I know that then?</p>
<p>My mom had this done in April. The day before the surgery she took her newest eye glasses and had a clear piece put in the side being corrected first. I guess she didn’t want to tape a patch over her one eye for two weeks between surgeries. Then she did the same thing for the next eye. Because she is also far sided, she was unable to knit, read the paper or read the caller ID on the phone so she wandered around with a magnifying glass. On day 2 she bought a cheap pair of readers and about 3 weeks after the second surgery she had to adjust the strength. </p>
<p>The eye drops they give your are key! Follow the directions to avoid any problems. Her eyes turned red from the drops and she didn’t want to “bother” the nice doctor, but he said that had she told him they could have written a different prescription. </p>
<p>She is doing great, but has trouble putting on eye makeup so we are looking for a magnifying mirror that will hang around her neck. :p</p>
<p>H had the surgery, one eye in Jan. and one in Feb. He is absolutely thrilled. He also has glaucoma, so in addition to the regular drops, he had his regular medicine in one eye and a gentler medicine in the operated eye. I actually made a table indicating what he was to take when, and he crossed each one out as he took it so as not to get confused. Fortunately, he was done with one eye before the second operation. In both eyes, he could not even read the E on the eye chart without his glasses the day before, and at the post-op visit, he had 20-20 vision. It was amazing. </p>
<p>He was very nervous before the first one, but then was anxious to have the second one done, and would have had it done the next day he could. He thinks he had more sedation the first time (perhaps because of nerves?) because all he could manage was eating a sandwich in the car on the way home. After the second one he was ready to go to a regular restaurant. He was careful and followed all instructions to the letter and had no problems whatsoever. </p>
<p>He’s still trying to adjust to reading glasses and actually can’t read things close up without glasses but their just off the rack glasses.</p>
<p>So what are the symptoms of cataracts? I’ve noticed my vision seems a little ‘cloudy’ recently. I go in for exams once a year at a minimum and my doctor has never said anything. I was actually thinking about making an appointment and have him take a look. I’ll be 49 next week but have always been ahead of the curve with eye stuff. Started wearing readers in my late 30’s.</p>
<p>Thanks for the words of wisdom and encouragement, fellow cataract folks! I guess 56 isn’t really all that young for anything. Glad to read such good reports from everyone who’s had this done. It must be nice not to squint all day long.</p>
<p>MomLive, one particularly telling symptom (or so I’ve been told) is if you see a halo effect around streetlights or oncoming headlights when you’re driving after dark. Another possible symptom is double vision, though this can be a sign of other eye disorders, as well.</p>
<p>I’ve had cataracts for a while, but I keep putting off the procedure because the idea of having my eyes operated on while I am conscious freaks me out.</p>
<p>What is the actual procedure like? Are you sedated?</p>
<p>frazzled, here’s a previous discussion that may have some additional information for you.</p>
<p>sodiumfree, yes, you are sedated. My mother had both eyes done and felt no pain whatsoever. She was nervous about it but was amazed how easy the process was and how wonderful the results were.</p>
<p>I was sedated, but not completely under. They do topical drops plus an IV. I felt nothing. It’s day surgery, and the entire procedure, including prep and recovery, takes maybe 4 hours. The actual operation is perhaps half an hour. It’s really nothing to fear.</p>
<p>alwaysamom and annasdad, thanks – that is good to hear! </p>
<p>I guess I just have to get this scheduled. I have heard people say that they are amazed at the results; that they didn’t realize how much their eyesight was affected. That’s my situation; I don’t think it’s really that bad. But I know I have them, so – might as well get rid of them!</p>
<p>A co-worker who is in her mid-seventies had one eye done two weeks ago. She has gotten along very well and says she can see really well out that eye now. She is still wearing her old glasses, don’t know how that’s affecting her. She will have the other eye done in a month or so. She was out of work for eight days but only because she works with children and the Dr. didn’t want her to do any lifting of any kind for ten days.</p>
<p>Both of my eyes have had the surgery. I had the fast growing cataracts. In the first eye my vision went from 20/25 to 20/400 in less than a year. I had no problems with the surgery. I made sure that I did the drops when I was supposed to. That is very important. They also don’t want you to bend over for a couple of weeks. It puts pressure on the eyes. </p>
<p>My second eye developed the cataract quickly about 2 years later, but I knew what to look for. I made an apt. with my eye doctor instead of waiting for my yearly apt. He sent me to the surgeon, and all went well. My husband had to be out of town, so my daughter came up. I was the first surgery of the day, so I had to be there by 6:30 am. We were pulling out of the parking lot afterwards at about 8 am. I didn’t even have to change my clothes, just where a top that was button down. We went home to put the drops in, went to breakfast, then I slept a lot of the day. My daughter would set the timer to wake me for the drops.</p>
<p>My surgeon said that having it done when one is younger is easier. So many elderly patients have other health issues, so it can be harder on them, but it really was simple. It didn’t bother me to be awake. The procedure was so quick that I hardly could believe that it was done. I didn’t have to wear an eye guard except to sleep after the first day. It truly is a miracle surgery.</p>
<p>I haven’t had it but my mother did a month ago. She is almost 70. I have a funny, somewhat inappropriate story to share about post operative restrictions that I have to tell…because I can’t share it with too many other folks.</p>
<p>My mom did very well with her surgery, and told me about what activities she had to limit - most involved bending at an angle. So, cleaning, putting on shoes, getting in the car, picking up things were all things she had to do carefully. But, it seems there is something else you must limit…</p>
<p>So, I was sitting with her watching Dancing with the Stars about 2 weeks after the surgery…apparently Dad had no idea I was in the house and entered the room and propositioned her. She said, that would be great…except Pumpkin is here! OOOPS!</p>
<p>I called her the next day to ask her for a favor…she said she could not help me out because was busy picking out upholstery with her friend that afternoon. I said SUUURRREEEE you are. Tell Dad not to make you go blind.</p>
<p>I had cataract surgery in one eye a few months ago. It was one of the best things that I have done for myself! My symptom were increasing blurred vision in that eye. I had been wearing mono-vision contacts (one distance and one reading) and the cataract developed in the reading-corrected eye. The cataract developed over several months. I thought that my contact lens just needed polishing and was shocked when I “failed” the peripheral vision test that my optometrist gave me (the one where you look into a machine and press a button every time you detect movement).</p>
<p>The opthamologist gave me the option of a lens that would be set for distance, thus correcting my near-sightedness in that eye, or one of the newer lenses that mimics a natural lens by adjusting for different distances. The former was covered by insurance and the latter would have involved a $2000 copay. I chose the regular corrective lens and have been very happy with it.</p>
<p>The out-patient surgery was quick and easy. The check-in at the hospital and pre-op waiting was much more time-consuming that the surgery itself, which I think only took around 15 minutes. The most difficult part of post-op was keeping track of the 3 different kinds of eye-drops that had to be put in several times a day for a few weeks.</p>
<p>My vision in the corrected eye was 20-20 by the next day. Initially I continued to wear my distance lens in the other eye for a few days until my optometrist fitted me for near-vision contact in that eye. (The reverse of what I had had pre-surgery). </p>
<p>I now have excellent distance and reading vision with one contact lens in the non-surgery eye. I am actually looking forward to eventually having the other eye corrected!</p>
<p>The only “problem” I have is that I have to clean my bathroom even more frequently, as I can now see every speck of dirt! :)</p>
<p>My mother just had the surgery on her weaker eye three weeks ago. She has had some minor difficulties with the recovery , but then she is 80 years old. They have delayed the second surgery because she is recovering slower than anticipated. I think she is being overly cautious , which is fine if it makes her feel more secure. She really isn’t comfortable driving which had proven to be a challenge to keep up with her many follow-up appointments. I spent a week with her , but had to come back home…my family who live nearby all work full time so it has been difficult because the appts are lengthy. Still they say that most people do a lot better with their sight post surgery …I’m thinking her age has inpacted tha</p>
<p>Reviving this older thread: I went to the eye doctor because I noticed a change in my left-eye vision. Bad news! Cataract. I am 56, but read from this thread that this is not so unusual at this age. </p>
<p>I am terribly squeamish about anything to do with eyes, but I need to do this. I have worn glasses for 48 years, tried contacts, couldn’t deal. So I can’t manage contacts or drops, barely get through the eye exam. I had to cut the dr off during his explanation of cataract surgery because I was getting so nauseous. Definitely need IV sedation (told dr no amount of oral valium would get me through it).</p>
<p>I am a dentist so will need some time off from work. 4 days enough? Can’t even think about doing a second eye, but it’s not very bad. Yet. Will I feel the new lens? Will my eye feel numb when I wake up? I am happy to wear glasses the rest of my life, so I really don’t care if I get 20/20 vision, need reading glasses, etc. </p>
<p>I am ready to get a consultation appointment and move forward. A little at a time, steeling myself to commit, trying to cut down on the “freak-out” feelings if I think too much. I can only educate myself in short reads. Yes, I am a basket case.</p>
<p>Any tips, besides telling me I will be fine? Intellectually, I think that will probably be true, but it’s hard to wrap my emotions around that thought.</p>
<p>I will be facing this as well at some time, as my cataracts are not “ripe” enough yet to treat.</p>
<p>but 24 years ago I had surgery to repair a retinal detachment and tear. And I will tell you, the eye felt no pain (I don’t think it has many pain receptors). My face was a little bruised and swollen, but no pain in the actual eye!!</p>
<p>People go home the same day and are amazed how cataract surgery often reduces or eliminates the need for corrective lenses.</p>
Glad to read such good reports from everyone who’s had this done. It must be nice not to squint all day long.</p>