Cataract Surgery

[Coyote Chris]

I am going to get cataract Surgery Jan-Feb 2025.
Right now, I am near sighted and have worn glasses all my life. I like them. Mine are poly carbonate progressive lenses.
I need to talk with someone who got standard far sighted lenses, then when everything healed, new glasses. Takes roughly 2 months all told.
I am trying to work out logistics. My wife isnt home much. I live in the country.
This is how I am told it will go.
Day one. A person drives you to the doc and after 2 hours you have a new lens in the left eye. That person drives you home. You tape a shield over the eye at night so it isnt rubbed. You sleep alot.
Day two. Another or same person drives you to the doc for a quick check. Some people take out the eye glass lens from the left side.
Day 7. A person or perhaps yourself can drive you for another quick checkup.
Day 14-21 you go in for your second surgery and repeat above. You can then remove your glasses and use cheaters for reading.
3 weeks or so after the second surgery, you buy new glasses.

If anyone got standard lenses, could you drive after the second operation?

 

[Phil Tarman]

Chris, I have astigmatism. I could have had new lenses that would have corrected that and given me vision both near and far. But, I would have had to pay a bunch of money that I didn't have then because Medicare didn't cover that. So I've still got trifocals, not progressive, because the lines help me keep my glasses straight on my face. I have hardly any correction for my distance vision and can see fine at a distance without my glasses. But to see the instruments on the bike or the dash in the car, I need the middle part of my glasses. Reading requires the bottom part.

I've had two issues: 1) floaters that have finally gone away; 2) occasional ocular migraines. I'd never heard of them and I don't have them often. They make it so a spot in my vision (usually in the middle, but it can be off to the side) goes fuzzy. There's no pain, and I can still drive or ride. They usually go away in about 15 minutes.

What will drive you crazy is the number of drops you'll have to put in your eyes both before and after the surgery.

 

[rc_heli_nut]

You shouldn't attempt to drive yourself home after cataract surgery, it's really not safe, you will need a driver. It's also common for some cloudiness to return after the IOL lens implants, there's a post-cataract YAG laser procedure that corrects that, done in office. I had both eyes done about a decade ago, but due to the severity of the cataract in my right eye, the surgeries were done approx 1 year apart.

I could never get used to bifocals or progressive glasses, so instead I wear a light distance vision RX with a tint for driving, and can get by with store-bought readers for indoors.

 

[DirtFlier]

I've had cataracts removed from both sides but without any corrective lens added. I wear glasses but only for driving and can probably pass the eye test without them but it doesn't bother me to wear them while riding/driving. I can watch TV without using them. The surgeries were about a year apart and both times I had Deb drive me to/from. Yes, the eye drops were a pain in the rear. I drove myself to the post-surgery checkup after about a week because my vision on that side was clear.

It's a common surgery because our population is now mostly oldsters like myself.

 

[mikesim]

Sounds about right based on my wife's experience several years ago. I'm going to have the surgery in the early spring/late winter so I'm ready to RIDE!!

Mike

 

[rc_heli_nut]

Another problem us oldsters run into, that affects our vision, is droopy eyelids. There's a surgical procedure to fix it (Blepharoplasty), had it done on both lids 4 years ago. It made a big difference in my case, so much so that I needed new glasses RX, vision is vastly better now. It's not the most pleasant surgery though, lots of stitches, and for a while you'll look like the loser in a bar brawl!

 

[RedLdr1]

I had cataract surgery 20 + years ago and my wife just had it in January of this year. The procedure timeline sounds about right. I drove four days after my first operation while wearing my pirate patch for another week. Same timeline with the second eye. I would not suggest driving any earlier than three days to allow you to get used to being mono vision, watch out for steps!, and the drugs to totally wear off. When my wife had her surgeries I just drove for a couple weeks since we're retired now.

The eye drop schedule is a PITA but don't skip any doses. My eyes experienced protein build up / clouding that produced tunnel, or narrowed, vision after about 6 months. A visit to my surgeon and five minutes with a laser to burn the protein off and it was cured. It has not come back and my wife didn't have that issue.

I wore cheap cheaters (+1.5) for years until my optometrist suggested progressive readers with Transition photo grey lenses or "old fart" specials. Now I carry, or wear, one pair of glasses for readers and sunglasses and can just wear them all day if I want. The good news is my vision insurance covers most of the costs for them. And I'm lucky in that my eyes do well with progressive readers. My wife has them as well. Both of us easily passed the DMV vision test and are no longer required to wear glasses to drive.

Now for the other side. I had a weird experience in that my surgery basically "flipped" my dominate eye. Not a huge deal for most things but being left handed with a right dominate eye makes rifle shooting a whole new experience . Pistol shooting isn't as challenging. It took me a couple years to get over that on the range. My wife had bad astigmatism in one eye and the surgery did not fully correct it so she wears a corrective lens in her glasses. She could have chosen to have her surgeon do a "touch up". But since she had already had Lasik several years prior it was not a sure bet and could have made it worse. Our optometrist highly recommended against the surgery due to three surgeries on one eye is pushing it.

Overall the surgery is well worth it. My eyes haven't changed at all since the surgery and I'm still slightly better than 20/20 vision. Our optometrist claims I'm the poster child success story for having implants. My wife is doing great as well...

Just take it easy, don't push it, and use the drops as directed.

 

[suvcw04]

I had both eyes done, on the schedule you have, about 7 or 8 years ago. I can read a newspaper without glasses, but it is easier with them. Cheap dime store glasses. I drive, watch tv, sit at this keyboard, everything else without them. I am 80 and just got my driver's license renewed a couple of weeks ago. No glasses required to drive.
So nice to go out in the rain and see. So nice to come in from blowing snow and not have to give glasses a time to reheat and defog.
So nice to put on a helmet and not need to try to push a pair of glasses on.
I hope your operation turns out as well as mine did.
Good Luck!!

 

[Coyote Chris]

Chris, I have astigmatism. I could have had new lenses that would have corrected that and given me vision both near and far. But, I would have had to pay a bunch of money that I didn't have then because Medicare didn't cover that. So I've still got trifocals, not progressive, because the lines help me keep my glasses straight on my face. I have hardly any correction for my distance vision and can see fine at a distance without my glasses. But to see the instruments on the bike or the dash in the car, I need the middle part of my glasses. Reading requires the bottom part.

I've had two issues: 1) floaters that have finally gone away; 2) occasional ocular migraines. I'd never heard of them and I don't have them often. They make it so a spot in my vision (usually in the middle, but it can be off to the side) goes fuzzy. There's no pain, and I can still drive or ride. They usually go away in about 15 minutes.

What will drive you crazy is the number of drops you'll have to put in your eyes both before and after the surgery.

OK, that jives from what I have heard. I have floaters but they will never go away...my brain ignores them. So after the second eye is done, I will need cheaters to read until everthing heals and stablilizes so I can get my progressives. I have worn progressives for 25 years or more since I heard Paul Harvey say Varalux progressives were the only progressives allowed by the US Navy for aging carrier pilots (who fly cargo planes to the ships) Took my brain about 2 weeks to re program itself for progressives.

 

[Coyote Chris]

I had both eyes done, on the schedule you have, about 7 or 8 years ago. I can read a newspaper without glasses, but it is easier with them. Cheap dime store glasses. I drive, watch tv, sit at this keyboard, everything else without them. I am 80 and just got my driver's license renewed a couple of weeks ago. No glasses required to drive.
So nice to go out in the rain and see. So nice to come in from blowing snow and not have to give glasses a time to reheat and defog.
So nice to put on a helmet and not need to try to push a pair of glasses on.
I hope your operation turns out as well as mine did.
Good Luck!!

OK, you got the standard lenses. And you can drive without cheaters...great! (I remember the days in the last century when one had to take off ones glasses, put on the helmet, and put them back on. Major Pita and hard on the glasses. Then I went to the LS2 Valient. Personally, I like glasses. Polycarbonate ones...big pilot sized ones....but I still wear safty glasses over them when grinding/chain sawing/chipping, limbing, etc.

 

[Coyote Chris]

I had cataract surgery 20 + years ago and my wife just had it in January of this year. The procedure timeline sounds about right. I drove four days after my first operation while wearing my pirate patch for another week. Same timeline with the second eye. I would not suggest driving any earlier than three days to allow you to get used to being mono vision, watch out for steps!, and the drugs to totally wear off. When my wife had her surgeries I just drove for a couple weeks since we're retired now.

The eye drop schedule is a PITA but don't skip any doses. My eyes experienced protein build up / clouding that produced tunnel, or narrowed, vision after about 6 months. A visit to my surgeon and five minutes with a laser to burn the protein off and it was cured. It has not come back and my wife didn't have that issue.

I wore cheap cheaters (+1.5) for years until my optometrist suggested progressive readers with Transition photo grey lenses or "old fart" specials. Now I carry, or wear, one pair of glasses for readers and sunglasses and can just wear them all day if I want. The good news is my vision insurance covers most of the costs for them. And I'm lucky in that my eyes do well with progressive readers. My wife has them as well. Both of us easily passed the DMV vision test and are no longer required to wear glasses to drive.

Now for the other side. I had a weird experience in that my surgery basically "flipped" my dominate eye. Not a huge deal for most things but being left handed with a right dominate eye makes rifle shooting a whole new experience . Pistol shooting isn't as challenging. It took me a couple years to get over that on the range. My wife had bad astigmatism in one eye and the surgery did not fully correct it so she wears a corrective lens in her glasses. She could have chosen to have her surgeon do a "touch up". But since she had already had Lasik several years prior it was not a sure bet and could have made it worse. Our optometrist highly recommended against the surgery due to three surgeries on one eye is pushing it.

Overall the surgery is well worth it. My eyes haven't changed at all since the surgery and I'm still slightly better than 20/20 vision. Our optometrist claims I'm the poster child success story for having implants. My wife is doing great as well...

Just take it easy, don't push it, and use the drops as directed.

Thankfully there are alarms on my fone for the drops!
Another forum member had the "protein cloud" and got it burned off. About 25 percent get it.
Interesting flipped eye story......
My doc says they no longer require the pirate patch, but at night I have to wear a plastic shield taped to my face so the eye isnt rubbed.
Many years ago, when I found a Varalux "No line trifocal" ie progressive lens dealer, they said if you have worn bifocals, you have an 80 percent chance of your brain reprograming itself for progressives. If you never had bifocals, the odds went up 10 percent. Full money back guarenttee. Interestingly, they now say that if you get Varalux after cateract surgery, there is a 90 day guarantee if your eyes change in that 90 days, you get free lenses made. No small thing when you buy top of the line polycarbonate varalux with coatings. $600 for the clear, and another $600 for the sun glasses. Due to the aging of my lenses, I havent had to use sun glasses much in the past years...but I expect that will change.....

 

[Coyote Chris]

Another problem us oldsters run into, that affects our vision, is droopy eyelids. There's a surgical procedure to fix it (Blepharoplasty), had it done on both lids 4 years ago. It made a big difference in my case, so much so that I needed new glasses RX, vision is vastly better now. It's not the most pleasant surgery though, lots of stitches, and for a while you'll look like the loser in a bar brawl!

Never heard of that one! You won the lotto!

 

[Coyote Chris]

Sounds about right based on my wife's experience several years ago. I'm going to have the surgery in the early spring/late winter so I'm ready to RIDE!!

Mike

Are you going with straight lenses or correctivee?

 

[Coyote Chris]

I've had cataracts removed from both sides but without any corrective lens added. I wear glasses but only for driving and can probably pass the eye test without them but it doesn't bother me to wear them while riding/driving. I can watch TV without using them. The surgeries were about a year apart and both times I had Deb drive me to/from. Yes, the eye drops were a pain in the rear. I drove myself to the post-surgery checkup after about a week because my vision on that side was clear.

It's a common surgery because our population is now mostly oldsters like myself.

Very common. I was told that you HAVE to have a designated driver for the surgury. And that it was strongly reccommeneded to have a driver for the 24 hour post surgery visit, and you may well be able to drive yourself to the one week visit.
(One year apart???????)

 

[Coyote Chris]

You shouldn't attempt to drive yourself home after cataract surgery, it's really not safe, you will need a driver. It's also common for some cloudiness to return after the IOL lens implants, there's a post-cataract YAG laser procedure that corrects that, done in office. I had both eyes done about a decade ago, but due to the severity of the cataract in my right eye, the surgeries were done approx 1 year apart.

I could never get used to bifocals or progressive glasses, so instead I wear a light distance vision RX with a tint for driving, and can get by with store-bought readers for indoors.

Here, they wont let you go out the building without a driver. You are put in a wheel chair. About 10 percent of people's brains cant reprogram for progressives.

 

[RedLdr1]

My doc says they no longer require the pirate patch, but at night I have to wear a plastic shield taped to my face so the eye isnt rubbed.

My wife had the plastic shield. Do yourself a favor and buy some very good medical tape like this to save your skin from the adhesive in the cheap tape they give out.

I enjoyed my pirate patch...especially when I flipped sides and confused the heck out of folks.

 

[DirtFlier]

"...(One year apart?)...CoyoteChris"

My left eye had the largest cataract and once it was removed, I wasn't in too much of a hurry to have the right side done so I waited a year. I have friends who've had both eyes done at the same time but to me that's a bit risky!

 

[rc_heli_nut]

Never heard of that one! You won the lotto!

I wouldn't have said that, right after the surgery! The stitches itch like crazy, but you can't touch them, luckily they don't stay in long, and they're not dissolving sutures, good old fashioned surgical string. They sent me home with codeine painkillers. 4 years on though, I'm pleased with the results, the plastic surgeon did a good job making both lids look equally open.

 

[rc_heli_nut]

"...(One year apart?)...CoyoteChris"

My left eye had the largest cataract and once it was removed, I wasn't in too much of a hurry to have the right side done so I waited a year. I have friends who've had both eyes done at the same time but to me that's a bit risky!

Yes, if one eye has a significant cataract, and the other is minor, it's less risky to do them one at a time, and wait a year or so. Talk to your doctor, as they say.

This was the predicament for me a decade ago, made it difficult to judge distances, which you kind of need for driving. Sounds like DirtFlier was in the same situation.

 

[junglejim]

Reading with interest. My eye Dr said I have cataracts. I asked how long until I’d need treatment. She said “Oh, maybe not in your lifetime”. I was relieved, but when I was leaving I thought - did she mean my cataracts weren’t bad or that I would die soon???

I can notice my cataracts but still pass the phony DMV exam. I’m most bothered by my limited ability to spot some of the tricky targets in PRS rifle matches. If I can find the targets I can hit them. But if I spend too much time looking for them I time out. Old and slow.