cateracts.

Hi Clive, had both eyes done six months apart, it takes time to get full vision back but at 68 my eyesight is better than it has been for the last 30 years. If your treatment is going to be delayed try high dose vitamin e daily! My mum has just had hers done at 88! You will wonder why you even worried! My Aunt (mums sis) was told she was developing them, went on the vitamin e and they "went away"! Good luck whatever you decide!

Phil

Clive,

I've had Cataracts removed and replacement lenses fitted. I was still working at the time and had both eyes done under the works health care scheme [about 3 months apart].

I'd been wearing glasses for 50 years until the operations I've only just started using them again for driving, 6 years later.

I had different lenes in each eye, so left eye was setup for distance, the right eye for middle distance. Causes opticians to double check during eye tests. But enables me to do most things without glasses apart from reading and  close up in the workshop.

The operation was a painless bright blurr. Recovery was hours, though take care at night in bed, wear an eye shield for a week To avoid poking/ rubbing the delicate eye on the pillows /sheet.

Tip take a pair of sun glasses to the operation for use afterwards .Things are really bright afterwards. Colours were vibrant.

About 6 months after each operation I had a Yag Laser proceduce to remove the capsulation around the lenses. This was done as outpatient at the local eye clinic. No pain , recovery time a couple of hours. Again take a pair of sunglasses with you.

One issue has been the increase in the number of "floaters" that drift across the vision. Not a issue day to day just when laying in bed looking at the window !

Steve

Edited By The Novice Engineer on 12/07/2020 21:03:33

At my last eye test, the optician said that i would probably be due in a year's time.

A friend of my wife had the first one done, and instead of selling the car, as she originally intended, she is driving it.

Another friend has said "What an improvement", so, much as I dislike needles, hospitals etc, am awaiting the work with anticipation. Oh to have good eyesight again, and less glare when driving at night.

Should be able to read a mic clearly again!

Howard

My big sister (86) and my friend across the road (in her 70's) have had the op without any problems, the main thing is to take care afterwards.

I'm 80 and my optician was warning me that I have cateracts, but not enough to be a worry for a couple of years, and said its better than going to the dentists!

Fate took a hand on the night of 2/3 March, when I had an RAO (Retinal Artery Occlusion, an eye stroke), this has left me with severe double vision in my right eye, as I have lost two of the muscles in it. I was prescribed a Fresnel prism lens, which helps tremendously, but still have several issues. After my first two appointments in hospital, all further booking were cancelled due to the present situtaion. The surgeon told me to stop driving, and notify the DVLA, and I need to take a DVLA sight test before I can drive again, and at present they are not carrying them out, not sure sure if I will pass the test anyway, when they tested my periphal vision in hospital, a light came on and you point at it, my wife says I missing by miles!

I did get a phone call from the Orthopist last Monday to see how I was getting on, one of my problems is that the brighter it is, the less colour and definition I can see, turns out thats probably my existing cataracts! Anyway on Tuesday I am having a video consultaion over the internet with her, hopefully I might find more out then!

Then by the time this is sorted, looks like I will be having the cateract op!

Thank you again people for the reports, all good information to me.

The worst thing iis the loss of the stereo vision as it is hard to focus just one eye on the detail I want to see. I can read ok and watch tv ok but out in the bright light it is not so good. I hope all this covid soon goes and I can get fixed.

Clive

My late Mother had cateracts removed in both eyes but about five years apart. She was delighted with the improvement.

She had a 25 dioptre insert in the second eye - I don't recall (or was never told) about the strength of the first.

She needed spectacles for reading but distance vision was good.

It didn't help her memory though and dementia developed.

MC

I had my first one Right Eye removed in July 2018 and the left Eye in November 2018. Very pleased with the result

fantastic being able to see without glasses apart from reading.

Good Luck hope you dont havee to wait to long for your op.

Best Regards Bee M

My 92 year old mother had her first one done about a year ago. She recently received the appointment for the second.......July 30.....so Covid is not a problem, at least in the Gloucester area.

Be aware that having a cataract forming does not mean it will be done straight away. Your cataract will not be a problem. I hope your trapped nerve will be not be either.

Edited By Rex Hanman on 14/07/2020 21:32:26

Like others, I'm a "candidate" some time in the future for cataract surgery but I'm curious:

Do people who have worn glasses for years actually stop wearing them after the surgery "because they can"?

I've worn glasses for nearly 70 years and I would feel naked without. In fact, ageing meant that my original short-sight became more and more far-sight to the point that, a few years ago, I could do without glasses for distance - albeit with some minor astigmatism. Nonetheless I continued to wear glasses because of the injury protection afforded by the (polycarbonate) lenses plus a certain, inherent, amount of UV protection. (Plus the lenses lend themselves to self-darkening treatments).

Bandersnatch you can have your vision corrected within reason to anything you wish, though the astigmatism remains . You will have a fixed focal length (generally on NHS), so if you corrected perfectly for near vision you would require distance correction and vice versa. In effect you have approached this with the ageing eye as the poor old lens becomes less plastic as it develops a cataract.

Not everyone adapts to the one eye long one short approach and as noted stereoscopic vision can be impaired(though the brain uses other cues).

Speak to your surgeon /optician .

Ok, don't think I want to spread panic among the prospective users of silicone replacement lenses - but it must be said. Well, seems that I wrote about this somewhere in 2016, but repetition does not hurt.
Fact is, the docs always tell you about a surgery with absolutely no problems, but that is not always true. And when something goes wrong, then it is too late.
In my case, somehow the retina was badly damaged, and now in my left eye I have a totally distorted view. What it makes even worse is that there are none of the so-called positive effects of the cataract surgery, e.g. diminished blending and reflections. The only difference is that the untreated (read undamaged) eye sees white as just a little bit yellow.
I had then a second eye surgery, removing of the glass body (Leo says vitreous body), but with no positive result.
Just about a month ago I had again a scan of my eyes (retinas, to be exact), here are the two pics, so you can judge for yourself. Sorry, I didn't manage to bring both in the correct orientation, I can rotate the pics on the screen, but found no way to store them afterwards.

right (normal):

left (damaged):

Regards,
Hans

Edited By Versaboss on 15/07/2020 14:54:40

I am VERY sorry to read about your vision problems. I really don't know what to write.

I suggest that perhaps you should speak to a different Ophthalmic surgeon or your Solicitor about negligence claim.

Medical Negligence is big business for solicitors!

With best wishes and sympathy

MC Black

I'd echo the positive experiences most have had. I had two cataracts replaced (or rather lenses inserted in place of the cataracts) about a year apart; I doubt if any surgeon would do two at the same time. I'm a grade A needlephobe but as far as I know no needles were involved, or at least none seen or felt by me. A few drops of, I presume, a local anaesthetic, a very bright light for probably less than five minutes and off I trotted with an eye patch and a pack of eye drops. Didn't feel a thing. "Easy-peasy", said the extremely dishy young surgeon when I thanked her; "Easy-peasy after seven years training", said I. "Twenty-five", said she. The cops all look about eighteen too....

Only slight down side is that I previously used bi-focal glasses which stayed on to provide some protection when doing any machining, and now I forget they're not there any more so try to remember to use eye protection.

When my late Mother had her first cateract surgery, she told me that they used a large needle into the eyeball. But for the second procedure they did something else.

She was awake and could hear the medics talking. She was worried because a young female voice repeatedly asked an older male voice if she was doing something correctly or what to do next. Mother found this VERY worrying!

Clearly they should have removed her hearing aids before starting on her eye!

MC

Hi Clive,

Have now had both my eyes done. A bit worried going in for the first one as no real idea what to expect. The op took about 30 mins. No pain just weird sensations. Nowhere near as bad as going to the dentist.

OMG! The difference was absolutely unbelievable!!!

No need for a beer bottle lens in my glasses and I could see colours again! Spent the next six months comparing one eye against the other!

When the time came to get my other eye fixed I practically ran into the operating room.

Only wear weak glasses now for close up work, otherwise don't need them any more.

Get them done, you will be amazed.

Good luck.

Len

I hhave made contact with two places, one quite local and another in maidstone and now just waiting for replies.

Moneu not a problem so happy to go ahead asap.

Will come back when something happens.

Seems to be a simple medical procedure, relatively speaking

Remember watching a train in India which goes all over the country with the medical staff on board doing huge numbers of cataracts per annum

Still scary if its you tho

.

I hope the rail joints were good, and not too frequent

MichaelG.

I had cataract surgery on my left eye just over a month ago. It’s a very interesting procedure and quite enjoyed it, there was no discomfort at all apart from the constant flow of water over the exposed part of the face.

They start with the prep nurse putting a lot of drops in the eye, when it is fully dilated the eyes are locally anaesthetised then you have a cover with a hole stuck to your face.to stop the aforementioned water from running down your neck. They make a hole in the eye and poke an ultrasonic probe inside which disintegrates the lens, the bits of the lens are hoovered up at the same time. This part takes the longest, the water flow is to cool the probe so that it doesn’t get hot. The new lens is attached to a film which is rolled up inside a tube, the tube is put through the hole and the lens assembly is ejected whereupon it unrolls and it’s in place, job done!

While they were working on the lens I could see the most amazing things, bright lights and most impressive, a sort of ‘fluffy white lace parachute’ which came down over me again and again. They tell me that these sights don’t always occur so other people’s mileage may vary.

I found it to be a pleasant experience and now I can see again I can’t wait to get the other one done.

Bert

Apologies for this long post , I was born with extremely bad eyesight, around -10 and -12 along with severe astigmatism.

Eventually, in the early 1980's I went to London Eye Hospital and had both eyes done by radial keratotomy by pioneer David Steele, this was the operation that preceded laser correction, I was the first to have both eyes done in the same operation and the worst vision done as well, the op was successful giving me almost perfect vision, he did offer to repeat the op and give me perfect vision but I was quite happy with what I had and didn't want to risk another op.

Anyway roll on to 2001, aged 51, and my sight began to deteriorate, the ensuing opticians changed my prescriptions finally concentrating on the right eye until the last one said "your not driving are you?" "No" I said , I get a lift for my 52 mile round trip to work! I asked her if it was worth seeing a consultant and she said that she would refer me.

6 months later I saw a specialist and he said that I had a wonderful pair of cataracts!!!! I was shocked, angry, relieved et al, I really thought I was going blind and not one optician said I had cataracts! A few weeks later I got a letter stating he felt that he wasn't experienced enough to do the ops due to my precious ones and would refer me to another pioneer, Paul Chell, who was specialised in my type of case.

So I had my cataracts done, twice on one eye and three times on the other, this was due to my cataracts being so bad they couldn't get readings to get the right prescription the first times.

So now my eyes are fine, I still need specs, both for ease of driving and a couple of pairs for normal reading and close up work, my only, and frustrating, issue now is myopic fungus formed when I had cataracts and detached after the ops and so I have lots of floaters in my eyes, I can normally 'unsee' them but every now and then my brain picks up on them and they bug me. .

Regards

Roger