Cataract surgery, observations at 24 hours

LoboGunLeather

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I have always been very sensitive about my eyes. Can't stand any thought of damage or injury. Never have been able to watch people put contact lenses in or take them out.

About 6 weeks ago I went to bed one night after reading a small-print paperback book, no eyeglasses and no problems. Woke up the next morning unable to read the banner headlines of the newspaper. It was like my eyes were filled with clouds, fog, or smoke.

Went to see the doc, referred to an eye specialty clinic. Seems like I have a relatively fast-growing variety of cataract, right eye worse than left eye but both affected. Scheduled for outpatient surgery and spent several weeks alternatively looking forward to the prospect of restored eyesight and dreading the thought of someone slicing and dicing my eyeballs.

Yesterday had the right eye done. Checked in at 1:40PM, multiple eyedrop solutions applied to cleanse and dilate the eye. Blood pressure and everything else monitored closely. About 45 minutes later I was rolled into the surgical theater. Anesthesiologist administered a mild sedative, ophthalmic surgeon talked me through the entire process with no stress or strain. Actual surgery took 15 minutes or less, and 20 minutes later I was on my way home (with a driver, of course).

Multiple eyedrop solutions required several times per day. Slept peacefully through the first night, got up and did the eyedrops, grabbed a cup of coffee and sat on the patio.

Wow! The level of light and purity of colors are amazing! Distance vision is nearly perfect already, and close vision is coming along in bits and starts (as my brain adjusts itself to input from the new lens).

Technology has certainly come a long way in recent years. Tiny incision, then an instrument inserted to the lens applying sonic energy to dissolve the tissue and vacuum out the debris of the original lens, then a new intraocular lens inserted into position. Done deal!

Post-op examination today, everything looking good. Now I am looking forward to doing the left eye in two weeks.

I am very pleased and impressed, and anyone else dealing with such issues is assured that there is nothing at all to cause any concern. Success rates in the high-90% range and very few associated problems.
 
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Thanks for the insight. Looks like I might be doing the same soon. Sucks getting old but thank goodness for modern technology and techniques

Hope you are reading those fine print warning labels soon.
 
Had my left Eye done about 6 weeks ago.
Right one coming up this Monday.
The World is lighter and brighter through my Left.
My Right Eye View is through a brownish - yellow filter!
Have squirted more drops in my eyes than ever before!
Most of my life I have been Blessed with better than 20-20.
Right Eye is still almost 20-20 with astigmatism.
New Right lens will fix that.
Left now has middle range perfect focus, will be corrected to 20-20 far distance with new glasses.
If you need it, get it!
The apprehension is worse than the actual procedure!
 
In December I will be two years with new lenses. Very used to them. The surgery was quick and amazingly easy. I like that I can wear non-prescription sunglasses out and drive without my "slight" corrective lenses. (Was nearly legally blind near-sighted all my life - now a little bit farsighted.) Night vision is back, and no blinding glare from car headlights. I was always a little color blind, but now all color is more vivid. I'm about 20/35 without glasses, now 20/20 with. No bi-focals, more like strong readers without the loss of distance vision.

Only change I made in target shooting was a couple of red dots for my 22 rifles, and white appliance paint on the front sight of my handguns. Shoot with both eyes open, first time ever. I love it!
 
I had both done seven years ago at 50 years old. The procedures were done one month apart.
I had the amazing colors and brightness too (almost immediately).
The funniest thing that happened was the next day when all of the previous day patients were in the waiting room. We all had the protective saucers on our eye as we waited to be called in and checked by the Doc.
A tiny, elderly women came over to me and asked why I was there?
(Everyone in the room was 20+ years my senior)
I said I had the same surgery as you... she didn’t believe me :)
 
Wow! The level of light and purity of colors are amazing! Distance vision is nearly perfect already, and close vision is coming along in bits and starts (as my brain adjusts itself to input from the new lens).

It's like going from old timey 480 TV to high def or 4K, isn't it? When I woke up the next morning and removed the eye patch, I looked outside. I could see individual leaves on trees and shrubs again. And they were so green! Every color was so saturated. It was truly like a miracle.

Seven years later after having both eyes done within a month of each other, I still wear my bifocals, but my vision with the glasses is almost perfect. I have no complaints.
 
Per the surgeons instructions, I looked at the orange dot on the ceiling and began counting backward from 100. I remember 98...

Even funnier occurrence just prior to surgery.
They were ready to begin, and the surgeon did a role call for everyone in the operating room. One person had been replaced by another .... they chuckled and made a few negative comments about the absent person.
I spoke up and said, should I be hearing this conversation???
Doc laughed and told anesthesiologist that I needed more juice:)
 
Same for me.....changed my life dramatically. Colors were so vivid, edges were so sharp, no more reaching over for my glasses in the morning and setting them on the dresser before turning in!!!!

No more contacts, no more solution to buy...ever again !!

Yes, it really was a life changer for me.....I was -10.50/11.00 in right eye and -9.50 in left. Which is why I wasn't allowed to serve.....guess you had to be able to tell if it was a tank or a school bus and I couldn't!!

Medic said "Thanks for your interest....next!"

Randy

PS. Was corrected to 20-15 vision and getting better all the time WOW!!!!

This all started from a detached retina in my right eye while shooting at a local SASS match.....scared the willies out of ME I tell you..
 
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Lobo,

At age 75 last year I had both eyes done. Results were good, but be cautious if you get new “floaters” (a common occurrence after cataract surgery). Got some in my right eye couple months after surgery; got checked and no problems. Got more in the left eye a month later and got checked; torn retina (2 Laser surgeries needed), so don’t be shy about seeing you doctor if you note any changes.
 
I had my eyes done 2 months ago. As all of you have said colors are great, what I thought were dingy walls are really white. I will be 68 in a few weeks been wearing glasses since I was 10. Near sighted in one far sighted in the other and using tri-focals. I will still need the trifocals. 4 weeks ago the doc did final exam for new glasses and ordered them. Still waiting for them to come in. Seems the lab that insurance company uses is back ordered on the lens material and will be another 2 weeks. The reader type glasses I have been using are barely getting me by and it is a pain in the rump. Can not read a book,menu or use my phone for anything other than a phone. I just want my new glasses.
 
I had both eyes done several years ago. Ended up with 20/20 and 20/15 distance vision. Yes, I need "cheaters" for reading, but the results are amazing. After many, many years of wearing "coke bottle" eye glasses I am "free at last, free at last, thank God Almighty I am free at last!" (And, I get to wear cool sunglasses.)
 
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