Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I would love to have new lenses inserted but I just can't go forward with it yet. I am high risk for both retinal detachment and wet macular degeneration, both of which are more likely to occur following cataract surgery and/or the removal of epiretinal membranes (ERMs). The "plan" is for the retinal surgeon to coordinate the surgery with the cataract doc so both procedures can be done during the same operation. At this point, my vision is o.k. (-5 diopters), but I do restrict my night time driving because of the slightly blurred vision.
Perhaps I should consider getting a second opinion at Johns Hopkins. I'm just not "there" yet.
Usually, the first eye done (or so I was told) is the dominant eye. Was that true for you?
I will be getting cataract surgery probably in the next year, and have been reading about so many types of IOL's (intra-occular lenses). There are so many choices.
I know we are all different, but I would very much like to discuss brands, types of lenses, surgery stories, etc.
I asked my ophthalmologist if there was anything that would simulate younger eyes which can adjust so easily (close, mid-distance and distance) and was told there is an accommodating IOL called Crystalens, but she doesn't place them herself. For one of my eyes she suggests just a standard lens followed by adjustments, i.e. Lasik and for my other eye, a Toric lens to correct for astigmatism. It's my choice which is the primary distance vision I want (driving, computer, TV, whatever) and whether or not I might want to try monovision, which is something I was able to do successfully with contact lenses. My dominant eye got a distance lens, and my other eye got a Toric contact that focused up close. I could do something similar with IOL's.
She doesn't suggest a multifocal lens because it is unlikely to give me as vision as sharp of vision as I want. There are compromises. Unfortunately, I would really like to give up eyeglasses for for both distance and computer. Right now I spend an inordinate amount of time cleaning my eyeglasses and I hate it.
The thing is that there are new lenses coming out now that might be worth waiting for. For example, for one eye, since I need a Toric lens, and maybe there would be one that combine that feature with either multifocal or accommodation.
One big concern I have is that I am currently so nearsighted that my dominant eye sees well very, very near, and the other eye does not. I don't want to lose my extreme closeup vision, for example for mascara application (rarely done), or to read very very close with no glasses at all, which I now can do.
Also, I really do not want "stars", halos or anything like that, and some of those are more likely to occur with multifocal lenses, as far as I know.
This thread will be very useful to those of us of retirement age (and maybe some younger people who post here, too), and I hope everyone will share.
With me, they did the better eye first. The one that wasn't quite ready to do and it wasn't the dominant eye. It didn't come out very well though. Both eyes are okay, I guess, but the right eye came out a whole lot better. If the other eye had come out as well as the second one, I wouldn't need glasses except to correct for astigmatism so I wouldn't see rays of light and starbursts coming from lamps and street lights.
As for the toric lenses, I still have no idea why the surgeon didn't offer them to me. They would have been more expensive but it would have avoided having to buy glasses with astigmatism correction and variable lenses for the rest of my life. With Medicare, the regular lenses were only $300 for each eye.
For anyone who is scared--the surgery was NOTHING. The worrying and pre-op where they sit you in a room forever are the scariest part. Finally I was wheeled in, the put something over me and I think they put something over my face (?) and I heard the dr come in. Some sound and flashing lights inside my eye and it was over. The dr said it was like a light show.
The post op was worse, I think. I had to keep a clear plastic cup taped over my eye at night and there were three kinds of drops to keep track of for weeks to come. They give you a chart that shows when to take each drop and I taped that to the wall of my bedroom. Went in and lay on the bed to take the drops, three little bottles, four times a day, at first.
Oh, women, don't worry about not being able to see to put on your mascara. I was worried about that too. Yes, the surgery did take my close up vision away but I can see well enough to put on mascara. What I cannot see without glasses is tiny print.
Last edited by in_newengland; 08-26-2016 at 12:48 PM..
I will be getting cataract surgery probably in the next year, and have been reading about so many types of IOL's (intra-occular lenses). There are so many choices.
I know we are all different, but I would very much like to discuss brands, types of lenses, surgery stories, etc.
This thread will be very useful to those of us of retirement age (and maybe some younger people who post here, too), and I hope everyone will share.
Types of lenses were very recently discussed on a separate thread, at length, here:
I remember that my Grandma had cataracts and had cataract surgery very late in life. She also suffered from dementia. My dad started having cataract problems in his late 70's but did not have surgery before he passed away at age 79. My mom did not have any cataract problems.
I've read that cataract problems can be hereditary. So I'm wondering if I will develop cataracts. I also recently drove my neighbor to her cataract surgeries (she had both eyes done but one month apart for each eye) so cataracts have been on my mind lately.
If you have been diagnosed with cataracts:
At what age did you notice symptoms?
What was your first symptom?
What kind of cataracts did you develop?
Did you have surgery? If so, at what age did you have surgery?
Did you wish you had cataract surgery earlier in life?
Late 50s
I do photography, fishbowl vision
Kind?
Had surgery before I was 60, first one eye, 6 months later other eye. Also needed yagging.
Didn't need it earlier
Still wear graduated lens glasses around the clock, don't want to be taking glasses on and off, refuse to wear contacts
20/20 one eye, 20/40 other eye plus astigmatism
Yag:
" During your cataract operation, the natural lens inside your eye that had become cloudy was removed. A new plastic lens was put inside the lens membrane (called the bag or capsule) in your eye. In a small number of patients, the capsule thickens after surgery and becomes cloudy. This interferes with the light reaching the back of the eye. When this happens, your sight becomes misty, and you may get glare in bright light or from lights at night-time.
Capsule thickening can happen in the months after your cataract operation, but more commonly occurs about two years after surgery. Yag laser capsulotomy is the only way to treat this. Apart from affecting your vision, the thickening does not damage the eye in any way. In a Yag laser capsulotomy the doctor uses a special lens to apply a laser beam to the capsule. This creates a small hole in the centre of the capsule, which lets light through."
I asked if I would be able to see the surgeon coming at my eye with a scalpel and was told no. That you can't see out of your eye while they're working on it. And they put a cover over your other eye. So, you are basically in the dark and drugged up :-)
Maybe someone could verify this? I have my surgery on the 1st next week.
I'm pretty good at kind of leaving my body when I have to have things done - like going to the dentist, etc. But, if I could see him coming at me with the instruments, I couldn't handle that.
I STRONGLY recommend the twilight anesthesia. First eye I had done w/twilight anesthesia was such a piece of cake/nonevent that I decided I didn't need anesthesia for the second eye, since it left me a bit lethargic for about 12 hours.
BIG MISTAKE.
I was completely awake the entire time for the second eye, staring at this BRIGHTLIGHT and heard all the whirring, etc. similar to a dentist's drill. I had all I could do not to jump off the table - and I am not a chicken and never have anesthesia for dental work.
There was no pain, but the experience, for me, was AWFUL. If you have twilight anesthesia, you won't know a thing.
I STRONGLY recommend the twilight anesthesia. First eye I had done w/twilight anesthesia was such a piece of cake/nonevent that I decided I didn't need anesthesia for the second eye, since it left me a bit lethargic for about 12 hours.
BIG MISTAKE.
I was completely awake the entire time for the second eye, staring at this BRIGHTLIGHT and heard all the whirring, etc. similar to a dentist's drill. I had all I could do not to jump off the table - and I am not a chicken and never have anesthesia for dental work.
There was no pain, but the experience, for me, was AWFUL. If you have twilight anesthesia, you won't know a thing.
I think they called mine partial anesthesia. It wore off almost immediately and, after a short rest and FOOD I was able to just walk out of there. But the surgery itself was a non event. Just some colored lights going off in my eye and I could hear the doctor say, "That's it."
It's funny but my own parents never had cataract surgery. A few older relatives had it in their 90s. But I had it at age 71. I'm surprised to see so many people on here having it while still in their 50s! And I'm light skinned with green eyes. The only youngish person I'd ever heard of before was my ex who had it in his mid 50s--but he had red hair, very light skin, and blue eyes. He never wore sunglasses either; I have always worn them.
I asked if I would be able to see the surgeon coming at my eye with a scalpel and was told no. That you can't see out of your eye while they're working on it. And they put a cover over your other eye. So, you are basically in the dark and drugged up :-)
Maybe someone could verify this? I have my surgery on the 1st next week.
I'm pretty good at kind of leaving my body when I have to have things done - like going to the dentist, etc. But, if I could see him coming at me with the instruments, I couldn't handle that.
I had a mild twilight sleep. I could tell the doctor was there, but was so relaxed I felt no distress. Everything just looked dark. I don't remember the end, just waking up with it done, as I dosed off. I will say I'm very succeptable to meds so maybe that was me.
The eyes were done seperately, and I wasn't worried about the second one at all, just couldn't wait for it.
The post op was worse, I think. I had to keep a clear plastic cup taped over my eye at night and there were three kinds of drops to keep track of for weeks to come. They give you a chart that shows when to take each drop and I taped that to the wall of my bedroom. Went in and lay on the bed to take the drops, three little bottles, four times a day, at first.
I had zero post-op issues, no eye cup, no bandage. I was given one bottle of drops, use 4xday, stop after a week. Both eyes turned out well. Surgery Friday, back to work at Monday on the computer. No issues. None. Got mono lenses, didn't need toric. Now use only $5 reading glasses from drugstore, distance vision perfect. Can read addresses on the houses across the street, fine print on vehicles, etc. This is a huge change for me. Very nearsighted since age 10, wore glasses, then contacts, then contacts & reading glasses until cataract surgery. Quite liberating.
I had cataract surgery at the same time I had glaucoma surgery. I had twilight anesthesia (like what Michael Jackson had) and was awake and aware during the procedures. One eye done at a time, the right eye had to be done first as the pressure was highest in that eye. Three months later, the second eye was done.
Unfortunately, during the right eye surgery, the new lens got stuck on the iris. The doctor had a heck of a time correcting that but unfortunately, there was still a big problem with that eye. About 6 months later I had to have laser done to that eye to un-stick the lens from the iris. I probably got 50 to 70 laser shots.
I feel like a veteran of eye surgery.
To the poster who has the possibility of macular degeneration if you need a second opinion on what to do, please get one. Get three if you need it. Whoever you are comfortable with and have confidence in, do what he recommends.
The eyes were done seperately, and I wasn't worried about the second one at all, just couldn't wait for it.
They never do two eyes at once. Think about it.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Don't do what I did....
I was able to just walk out of there. But the surgery itself was a non event. Just some colored lights going off in my eye and I could hear the doctor say, "That's it."
