I had my right eye cataract surgery done on Tuesday. They took a series of measurements before the surgery and also found my astigmatism to be bad and needed immediate attention. In addition to the cataract surgery, I ended up with a Toric Lens. I had my post-ops done yesterday, and all went well. Today is the first day my eyes do not feel puffy. The vision clarity improvement is significant, and supposively improve further over the next few days as the eye heals. I highly recommend it for those having the same issue. Sadly, it cost $900, and my insurance does not cover it. Luckily, I set aside money in my medical Federal Spending Account for such expenditures.
Cataract Surgery
- Thread starter Crish63
- Start date
Congrats, I had both eyes done several years ago and the improvement was dramatic. Kind of like looking through a microscope with a blue tint for awhile.
I definitely need it! From my very limited searching, $900/eye without insurance seems very good. Congratulations! Any tips, tricks, advise etc?
Best wishes for a speedy recovery. I had both eyes done in early '23, right eye for distance and left for closer vision. I use readers/cheaters now for some activities, and progressive lenses for my ARA/ABRA RF games. Eye doctor said I was "in-between" the prescriptions offered, so it was going to be a hit or miss on long term results about needing glasses. I've worn glasses/contacts most of my 70 yrs, so it doesn't bother me except when I can't find one of the xx pair of cheaters I've got around the house, in the car, out in the shed, wife's purse, etc. LOL
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Try to put it off until you need it.
When you need it be ready to make some compromises.
I had mine done many years ago as well. The biggest changes I noticed is things got brighter and whiter and the ability to change the focal plane became virtually nil.
Depending on your coverage your lense options may be limited without paying more out of pocket.
There are pros and cons to every lense so try to educate yourself. Halos seem to come with the territory regardless of lense but there have probably been some advances in recent years.
The lenses I got are "multifocal" concentric rings and no longer offered according to the doctor who did my wife's eyes because people complained too much after getting them. On the plus side I can switch between relatively close up tasks like reading and computer work or distance tasks like driving and shooting without too much problem. I need readers for tiny print on labels like tylenol but I can still make out labels on food type stuff.
The cons for me is when a bright light hits my eyes I get a combo starburst/ring kind of effect ... LEDs, streetlights, headlights, etc. ... not debilitating but annoying.
Whatever lenses my wife got still requires her to have readers but she's also a bit more finicky than me having had 20-20 her entire life where I've had glasses since kindergarten.
Multifocal lenses and ringed starburst effect.
Try to put it off until you need it.
When you need it be ready to make some compromises.
I had mine done many years ago as well. The biggest changes I noticed is things got brighter and whiter and the ability to change the focal plane became virtually nil.
Depending on your coverage your lense options may be limited without paying more out of pocket.
There are pros and cons to every lense so try to educate yourself. Halos seem to come with the territory regardless of lense but there have probably been some advances in recent years.
The lenses I got are "multifocal" concentric rings and no longer offered according to the doctor who did my wife's eyes because people complained too much after getting them. On the plus side I can switch between relatively close up tasks like reading and computer work or distance tasks like driving and shooting without too much problem. I need readers for tiny print on labels like tylenol but I can still make out labels on food type stuff.
The cons for me is when a bright light hits my eyes I get a combo starburst/ring kind of effect ... LEDs, streetlights, headlights, etc. ... not debilitating but annoying.
Whatever lenses my wife got still requires her to have readers but she's also a bit more finicky than me having had 20-20 her entire life where I've had glasses since kindergarten.
Multifocal lenses and ringed starburst effect.
Starbursts, especially from high beams at night, are awful - definitely the worst thing about the lenses.
Also be aware that developing floaters afterwards is common, and can be easily treated with an NdYag laser.
I was told not to read or "focus" for ten days post-op. I didn't make it; wonder if that poor compliance affected the end result.
I don't recall that for mine. I took it easy for about three days then BAU.
I *think* the reason for the rest period is to give whatever the little tendrils are that "grab" the "arms" on the lense to take hold. But I don't really know because I just trusted the science on this part and didn't look into it.
There are some newer lenses that have a small amount of flex to them that let you focus more like a natural lense but I haven't heard "great" things about those. People seem disappointed in the amount of juice for the squeeze.
I agree but dont wait too long. This stuff has come a long way. The absolute best advice I can give is "Do a lot of research on your eye surgeon. They are not all created equal." The guy I got specialized in those, thats about all he did, 4-5 or more per week. He did a ton of test and even scribed out the astigmatism. I got the long range lenses, but they were fit to alleviate the astig's. I went from 20/90, 20/80 to 20/15 and 20/18. My LR is great and I can read a newspaper in bright light w/o cheaters, though if the light dims even a bit, I need them. I get very little of the starbursts but I will admit night driving isnt much fun anymore, I jsut try to plan it so I'm in by dark.Try to put it off until you need it.
When you need it be ready to make some compromises.
I had mine done many years ago as well. The biggest changes I noticed is things got brighter and whiter and the ability to change the focal plane became virtually nil.
Depending on your coverage your lense options may be limited without paying more out of pocket.
There are pros and cons to every lense so try to educate yourself. Halos seem to come with the territory regardless of lense but there have probably been some advances in recent years.
The lenses I got are "multifocal" concentric rings and no longer offered according to the doctor who did my wife's eyes because people complained too much after getting them. On the plus side I can switch between relatively close up tasks like reading and computer work or distance tasks like driving and shooting without too much problem. I need readers for tiny print on labels like tylenol but I can still make out labels on food type stuff.
The cons for me is when a bright light hits my eyes I get a combo starburst/ring kind of effect ... LEDs, streetlights, headlights, etc. ... not debilitating but annoying.
Whatever lenses my wife got still requires her to have readers but she's also a bit more finicky than me having had 20-20 her entire life where I've had glasses since kindergarten.
Multifocal lenses and ringed starburst effect.
My neighbor went with his normal Dr. an older guy who did one or two a month, max. John ended up all but blind in one eye and not great sight in the other. Why?
Research your surgeon well, its your life and your vision.
Tip;
Don't be a weenie like me and put it off. Run (don't walk) and get it done.
I kicked myself for waiting as long as I did.
I've had both done one year apart which gave time for all healing, follow up, etc. Personally, I think doing both at once is a fool's game but if that's what you want, go for it.
I was brought back to 20/20 distance. I got single focal lenses...distant lenses only...as I have two friends who selected the multi-focal and essentially couldn't drive at night (well, not if you count doing 30 mph in a 50 zone as driving) due to flares and star bursts. To me, $1.50 reading glasses out of the dollar store and carrying a pair around was just not egregious...particularly compared to the risk of the multi-focal. Also, I went from 2.75 mag before the cataract surgery to 1.50. That is, my close up vision actually improved but not enough to comfortably read small print (newspaper if there are such things still). As said, personally I'm fine with it.
Now, everybody's financial means are different but I was presented with the option to pay $1,500/lens for them to use a laser machine to cut the organic lens into nice even size squares prior to them actually opening the eye. This is compared to them opening your eye, going in with instruments to dice and slice the organic lens and then take the chunks out....then install the new artificial lens. I asked my Dr what provided the lowest risk and of course it was the laser. Now, I'm sure he had a financial interest in getting his machines used and paid for but to me it was obvious that the less time the eye needs to be open...and the less mucking around in there cutting up and removing the organic lens...the better so I went for it.
I also don't remember being told not to read...but I do remember disliking the plastic eye cup I needed to wear at night for a week to protect the eye while it healed sufficient that there were no worries about poking it in your sleep, etc.
As mentioned, colors became more cold. Cataracts yellow the lenses but it happens so slowly that...well, at least I never noticed it. But, after the first eye being done, the difference was immediately clear. Look thru the new lens with other eye close then switch. Holy cow...big difference.
Also, ask your Dr about Posterior Vitreous Detachment. Basically, the eye is filled with vitreous jelly that's kind of in a sack and is attached to the back of your eye to where the optical nerve is located and on the retina to either side. Normally with aging this jelly becomes more liquid and shrinks and often can detach at the back (hence posterior detachment) as a routine part of aging. Most of us will never notice that it happened.
With cataract surgery, the artificial lens is typically thinner than your organic lens (depends a lot on the specs of the needed lens). So, couple normal aging and its effect on the vitreous jelly with added space in there from a thinner lens replacing the thicker organic one and this can frequently result in PVD (if it hasn't happened already from aging).
Symptoms are good size floaters in your vision and in particular a circular floater (looks like a Cheerio floating around in there) which is one generated from the detachment point at the optical nerve. Also, you might have a flash of light at the periphery of your vision. All this is ok and goes away. Floaters tend to break up and your brain starts to edit them out. I found the flashing light to go away pretty quickly.
This is NOT the repeated flashing light symptom of retinal tear/detachment. I was told to be very aware of three possible things: 1) repeated flashing light, 2) snow globe effect and, 3) a curtain coming down over part of your vision. This is from retina damage (torn or detached) and is NOT PVD.
Only surgery in my life that I have zero regrets about.
Cheers and best of luck.
I was brought back to 20/20 distance. I got single focal lenses...distant lenses only...as I have two friends who selected the multi-focal and essentially couldn't drive at night (well, not if you count doing 30 mph in a 50 zone as driving) due to flares and star bursts. To me, $1.50 reading glasses out of the dollar store and carrying a pair around was just not egregious...particularly compared to the risk of the multi-focal. Also, I went from 2.75 mag before the cataract surgery to 1.50. That is, my close up vision actually improved but not enough to comfortably read small print (newspaper if there are such things still). As said, personally I'm fine with it.
Now, everybody's financial means are different but I was presented with the option to pay $1,500/lens for them to use a laser machine to cut the organic lens into nice even size squares prior to them actually opening the eye. This is compared to them opening your eye, going in with instruments to dice and slice the organic lens and then take the chunks out....then install the new artificial lens. I asked my Dr what provided the lowest risk and of course it was the laser. Now, I'm sure he had a financial interest in getting his machines used and paid for but to me it was obvious that the less time the eye needs to be open...and the less mucking around in there cutting up and removing the organic lens...the better so I went for it.
I also don't remember being told not to read...but I do remember disliking the plastic eye cup I needed to wear at night for a week to protect the eye while it healed sufficient that there were no worries about poking it in your sleep, etc.
As mentioned, colors became more cold. Cataracts yellow the lenses but it happens so slowly that...well, at least I never noticed it. But, after the first eye being done, the difference was immediately clear. Look thru the new lens with other eye close then switch. Holy cow...big difference.
Also, ask your Dr about Posterior Vitreous Detachment. Basically, the eye is filled with vitreous jelly that's kind of in a sack and is attached to the back of your eye to where the optical nerve is located and on the retina to either side. Normally with aging this jelly becomes more liquid and shrinks and often can detach at the back (hence posterior detachment) as a routine part of aging. Most of us will never notice that it happened.
With cataract surgery, the artificial lens is typically thinner than your organic lens (depends a lot on the specs of the needed lens). So, couple normal aging and its effect on the vitreous jelly with added space in there from a thinner lens replacing the thicker organic one and this can frequently result in PVD (if it hasn't happened already from aging).
Symptoms are good size floaters in your vision and in particular a circular floater (looks like a Cheerio floating around in there) which is one generated from the detachment point at the optical nerve. Also, you might have a flash of light at the periphery of your vision. All this is ok and goes away. Floaters tend to break up and your brain starts to edit them out. I found the flashing light to go away pretty quickly.
This is NOT the repeated flashing light symptom of retinal tear/detachment. I was told to be very aware of three possible things: 1) repeated flashing light, 2) snow globe effect and, 3) a curtain coming down over part of your vision. This is from retina damage (torn or detached) and is NOT PVD.
Only surgery in my life that I have zero regrets about.
Cheers and best of luck.
