Cataract Surgery

I had it. Piece of cake. Just remember those eye drops are important. put them in on schedule and do not miss a dose. I had my first one in May and the second in July of last year. New lens. I can see and now only need glasses for reading. No pain. The other thing to remember is don't be in glaring sunlight. Protect your eyes. The surgery took 10 minutes.

can't wait

Yes, do it. It’s life-changing and not bad at all.

Does Medicare cover cataract surgery?

Agree with R1 and R3.

I only wish I had back the time I wasted fretting and stewing about it beforehand.

For me, the most difficult part of the entire procedure is getting someone to pick you up afterwards. My doctor would not allow me to be released to an Uber driver or a taxi, or even walk home (the surgery center was withing a short walk of my home).

^Kidnapping is a federal offense.

Yes, R4.

I'd compare it to a slightly onerous visit to the dentist. Bit of discomfort, couple of blips more than that, but it's over in about 10-15 minutes. Try to relax into it. Follow all attendant instructions to the letter, give yourself time to recover a bit. Then savour the improvement.

Do they let you keep the goo they suck out of your eye socket?

Easy-peasy, both eyes (not at same time, duh!). No pain whatsoever. Had to get a couple post-op laser "touch-ups," but they were rather cool, because all I saw were kaleidoscopes of colors for 30 seconds!

However---and there is a "however"---though I have perfect distance vision from severe myopia, and accurate color perception from a yellowish tinge (of which I had been unaware!), I wish I could still have super-close-up vision.

I used to like reading my books close to my face when I lay in bed. Or being able to put on mascara.

Instead, I now have a "blurred vision zone" where, reading glasses or no, nothing helps. I'm experiencing this currently in trying to read sheet music at my drum set. Can't exactly place the music on the snare drum!

I look funny, too, because, having worn eyeglasses for 67 years, I have to feel glasses on my face, so I walk around like a schoolmarm, reading glasses perched on my nose! At least they're color-coordinated with my clothes! 😄

OP, you are going to be shocked and amazed. Everything will be brighter and colors will be incredibly rich and crisp. For me it was like seeing again for the first time. I could read again and could see at night.

The only negative was that I was not consciously sedated the second time, so it was a little unpleasant. I told the anesthesiologists and she blew me off, a real miserable, ugly old woman. The first one I don't remember at all. He was Russian and they don't fuck around.

My doctor recently I have the correction done to improve close-up vision and I no longer need glasses to read or use a computer. I still need them for distance. He said he could correct for one but both kinds of vision and, because I was a college professor at the time, he recommended I opt to fix the near vision.

IOW, r12, you are now near-sighted. No, thanks; BT, DT.

Reading glasses aren't $300+!

Thanks, R7.

Wonderful !!!! I was shocked — I’ve had dental work more painful . Get a doc with lots of experience - obviously .

It took her about ten to twelve minutes each eye. Don’t get them done at the same time . I paid more for the laser which of course Medicare doesn’t cover

Best decision I ever made … enjoy the world more

I had it done. It wasn't painful and the difference was amazing. I hadn't realized how dull everything had gotten, with colors washed out. After the surgery, the colors seemed brilliant. I also got powerful lenses put in and didn't have to wear glasses anymore. Medicare does pay for it.

Very easy, only a little discomfort and no pain. I had both done 2 weeks apart. When the doctor removed the first bandage, I cried from seeing detail I'd missed for so long.

I had terrible astigmatism and wore glasses or contacts since 3rd grade. My sight was really deteriorating the past few years. I stopped reading books because it was so difficult and frustrating. I always loved to read. I resigned myself to failing eyesight.

Cataract surgery was life altering.

I keep hoping that I will get cataracts so that I don’t have to wear contact lenses anymore. I use monovision for contacts (myopic in one eye for reading and corrected for distance in dominant eye). That works perfectly for me and I’ll do the same with intraocular implants.

R5

I remember you posting your story about finding a ride home a years ago. NYC?

I'll likely be having it within the next 12 months according to my ophthalmologist. I have under treatment for glaucoma for 20+ years which will make the cataract surgery more complicated. They have been tracking the slowly developing cataracts for a decade. Improved eyesight would be nice but managing the glaucoma is more important to me.

I will be a good patient about the drops. I take multiple eye meds and liquid tears 4-5x a day now so more drops are no biggie.

Think Oedipus Rex

R21 sounds like me! Because of my own glaucoma (I can have a tendency toward increased eye pressure) it was done before I hit 40. It was a breeze, and made an amazing difference as others attest, and recovery went fine. I do monitor things closely because of the glaucoma, and am on low pressure drops. ,Because of dry eyes I (unrelated to the cataracts), I’ve had good luck with Refeesh Optive preservative free drops.

Medicare does pay for the surgery , but it does not pay for laser surgery. Either way it’s life altering

My mom said the biggest difference was color perception. She was horrified at her own wardrobe and angry at her family for letting her walk around in such flamboyant colors for so many years.

Hi, there, OP! I had one eye done some years ago. Went perfectly, and no post-surgocal problems.

One thing to inderstand that can be a little freaky: when you get home after surgery and take off your eye patch for a minute, you might notice that everything looks wildly tilted. Totally freaked me out, but it's just your eyes getting accustomed to the lenses. It goes away in a matter of hours.

Also noticed some weird light flashes in the corner of my eye for a month or two after the surgery-- typically in the morning, right after I woke up. That disappeared after a few months.

In short, cataract surgery is one of medicine's greatest miracles. I'm so grateful for it.

I had it done recently. No problems with the surgeries or post op cause I followed instructions. However, I experienced halos immediately after the second eye surgery. I'm seeing ok with that eye but still exploring next steps to minimize the halos. Had follow up laser tweaking on that eye but I am hoping more can be done. Glad I didn't choose the monovision option. Wore glasses all my life, had lasik done decades ago and still needed glasses; so I have no problems grabbing reading glasses but having been nearsighted and now farsighted, it is an interesting change.

R26 again. OP, make sure your doctor is an M.D.

And he should be a stud, too, because he'll be standing right over you for a bit with a sharp surgical instrument, and you want a stud for that.

My doc is both a stud and M.D., so it all went great!

As R28 so wisely advises, if he purrs, “I’m going to use the good olive oil for this one!”, run like hell!

Hurts like fucking hell.

Fucking Egyptians.

If only there was a way to change DataLounge fonts with papyrus for our folks returning from eye surgery.

Does anyone know when weight-resistant workouts can resume after surgery?

I was told today I needed surgery on both eyes. I learned about the difference between regular and premium lenses, the latter costing $2500 an eye but obviating the need for readers. Anyone here who's opted for premium lenses?

[quote] The only negative was that I was not consciously sedated the second time, so it was a little unpleasant. I told the anesthesiologists and she blew me off

Was that extra?