Cataract Surgery: What to expect after surgery

@scadams27

Hi,
Just chiming in here. I also had a detached retina in the right eye in the 1980s with just a scleral buckle. In 2009 I had, per my wishes, cataract surgery in both eyes. It was the best thing I could have done despite being told that complications may occur in the future because of the detachment. I was given the choice of far or near vision and I opted for far. I only use prescription glasses for driving but don't really need them. I use the over the counter magnifiers for close up.

I have been treated for the past 3 years for macular edema in that right eye which is almost gone. There are periodic injections of Avastin which will taper off in the coming months. I do have some dry macular degeneration (MD) that is being monitored.....the right eye of course, being the worse eye. However my left eye is nearly 20/20. I do not drive at night anymore...not for several years...that is my decision. I am 81 and it is not necessary to do that anymore. When I was told of the MD years ago I was given the advice of eating as much green vegetables as possible....spinach, kale etc and have been taking Preservision since then. I attribute the fact that my MD has not progressed much to my diet which I changed a bit and I happen to like all that green stuff so I make sure I eat that at least once a day. Several months ago I was told I had a haze on the right eye which I had though was the MD. Turns out it was just scar tissue and I had a laser procedure that lasted 60 seconds. It was a big improvement for me. They sometimes refer to it as a secondary cataract. The scarring won't return so I am happy I had that done.

Hope my experience helps someone make any decisions.

Here's looking at you kid.

FL Mary

@marjou

Hi,

Ready by post to @scadams27 about my eye experiences. I too only have Medicare for my cataract surgery and just remember paying the 20%. I had this done in 2009...one month apart for both eyes. Aside from wearing the eye patch briefly and taking the drops....my vision was crystal clear in both eyes. However, for night driving at that time, I do see halos over street lights and oncoming traffic. Per my post to @scadams27 I don't drive at night anymore. The
surgery itself is basically nothing...it's fast....you are given a type of sedative to calm you down and boom...its over so fast. You are looking at the Doctor...you see the bright light and kind of see what he is doing but honestly...the anticipation was worse than anything. You don't feel a thing because your eye is numbed. My vision was never blurry right off the bat. I went to a clinic I still go to and that is a procedure that is done everyday by those doctors. I always wore sunglasses outside here in sunny Florida and still do.

Don't be afraid of this surgery and negotiate any payment on your part if you do have to pay. I decided to have the surgery....you will know if you really need it or can wait But really, this is something done every day and I actually don't consider it "surgery" They take the old lens out and pop in a new one.

Good luck\
Florida Mary

Hi. I had cataract surgery 2 weeks ago., left eye. Immediately I had a black semi circle in my periphial vision as well as flickering light. They told me at the post op check that this will go away. its 2 weeks and driving me crazy. My sight at this point is 10x worse than before. thoughts ? suggestions ?

@karenq, I had successful cataract surgery on both eyes recently, and din not have this experience. My opthamologist did 3 post procedure checks in the first 2 weeks. Each time he told me to call with any changes. Have you been checked by your opthamologist?

I know of some patients who go directly from optometrist to an eye clinic where they only see an ophthalmologist on the day of surgery. If this is your situation, please contact an opthamologist today. Or at the very least go to see your primary doctor who can decide of you need to be seen, then he/she can get you in right away if necessary.

Karen, let me know what you find out.

I had cataract surgery in R eye in 2021 and still have ND. My surgeon gas lighted me when I presented with symptoms by ignoring the issue and talking about something else. Others I went to gave comments like: "You're lucky you have vision." And virtually none would record the diagnosis which I had to determine with my own research. Now I'm looking to have the L eye done and the recent "expert" doc told me I could still drive with one eye. I inquired about the lens and she said that had nothing to do with it. She offered one lens only. She said if it was the lens then there would be one to fix it and everyone would be using it. All the while she pushed magic thinking to cure my "mental illness" for an imaginary condition. (Dr. Samual Masket does have a lens for ND prevention being in trials in Europe at present. They expect it available in 6 months (2024).) Doc then fictionalized EHR, used stigmatizing language in it, and cancelled me from the practice, thus ensuring no resources even for my glaucoma and tainting future visits via EHR to others. This was at a large integrated healthcare organization at a major university with good rating for eye health.
In the professional literature I have found encouragement to gas light patients with ND, thus green lighting such abusive treatment as I have experienced. Don't know who needs to step up to correct such pervasive anti-science conduct; however, I am doing my limited part. I mailed the CEO my concerns after failing to make any headway using their normal channels.
Chin up folks. Maybe ND has a "cure" in the next few years with the Masket lens. Remember to always read your EHR after each visit and make corrections. You are not crazy. You are probably being gas lighted.

I use refresh. I’m a month after right eye cataract removal and two wks after left eye. I had to cease the NSAID drops for inflammation two weeks after the surgery because it triggered my collagenous microscopic colitis. It’s been dreadful. But there are no bad residual effects of losing the nsaid in the right eye. But i only got 3 days worth in the left eye before I had to stop. So I dont know if that is why l have aches in that eye.

I passed on the lens to correct astigmatism but have 20/20 now. I see my doc in a couple of weeks so we’ll see if he has ideas.