Warning!! re Cataract surgery!!

@anncobbyenen Welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. I came across your post, and thought I would add my experience, also.

On July 5 my right eye was done, and on July 31 my left eye was done. My cataracts basically are the result of steroid use in my cancer treatment, although age is a definite factor! I am 70. In February I suddenly had very poor vision, but waited to get in to eye doctor. My vision was compromised a great deal with dense cataracts. I chose to have near lenses placed [most everyone chooses distance lenses!] because I do a lot of computer work, writing, reading, and crafts.

My surgeries were without issue, and my eyesight is now 20/20. I will be getting single vision glasses for driving. I am pleased beyond words at getting this done. My two older sisters have also had cataract surgery done, and chose distance lenses for placement. I hope you learn a lot here, and come to us with any questions!
Ginger

You answered most of the questions I was wondering about. I can see well with glasses but can't ignore the cataracts.

Thanks for your personal experience info. I appreciate you sharing.

Thanks for sharing your experiences, of four friends i had only one had the issue with dr putting in the opposite of what she wanted but the surgery for her and the other 3 went well; as I have this little black cloud following me I am very worried. Told year/s ago have them starting but 2007/8 had laser for vitreous (tiny bleeding back of eyes he said) and Iridotomy for high pressure in eyes - narrow angle glaucoma and use Latanoprot/Monoprost every night and dry eye drops for 20 yrs...after reading the above I checked Internet and, although opposing views, most said the longer we leave cataracts the less chance of success? I have floaters and since mid-June after an antibiotic which I cant prove but have tiny tiny dancing things ... but vision good, thank Goodness! So what to do? 80 in October - seems my body has a mind of its own and with other illnesses not sure could cope if thing went haywire! J.

I just had my first cataract surgery yesterday and although I was very anxious prior to the procedure, I am thrilled today at how wonderfully I am able to see things with clarity and better light/color than I have in years! I also asked for distance and astigmatic correction and chose to be able to give up my full time glasses for readers only. While I wait for my second procedure which is in another 6 weeks, the doctor who saw me today for a check up put in a soft contact lens in my remaining eye so that I will see clearly until the surgery.

I told my eye doctor I wanted the choice with the least chance of side effects or complications. She said that would be either distance OR close up lenses. She had a list of questions she asked to help me decide what was best for me. I chose to have my close vision corrected. It was the right decision for me. I’m reading all the time from books to labels etc. I would hate looking for “cheaters” for close vision all the time. One side effect—it helped my distance vision improve, too. Pre-surgery I couldn’t read the big E. Now my distance vision would probably pass the eye exam!

I was lucky enough to have three weeks between surgeries. I had agreed to far vision in both eyes. Because I have always had mono vision (one close vision, one far vision), it was a real change when my close up vision was replaced with far vision. So I changed the second lens to close up. I still wear glasses when reading, to close the gap between the two eyes so they do not get as tired. It really works great. Now, I do know that with the regular lenses, you get "intermediate" (26") close up vision, rather than what I was expecting, which was about 16". My sisters went with the trifocals, but mine are the regular ones that Medicare covers entirely.

Last September, at age 65 I had cataract surgery on both eyes that always enjoyed 20/20 and 20/40 vision. Unfortunately, I had gone to an unscrupulous Florida eye doctor who recommended cataract surgery to any senior who came in for a routine eye exam. I had found out later that this is how he supported his lavish lifestyle. Please learn from my mistake and carefully research your Doctors. My previously terrific eyes are now permanently blurry and very uncomfortable full time. Out of desperation to be able to enjoy the hobbies I’ve always loved and can no longer do because of my poor vision, I visited the 3 most respected Opthamologist’s in my area. Something I should’ve done first, and was told that any corrective surgery would be too risky. It has been a heartbreaking experience for me, and I hope that maybe writing this will save someone else from the same experience.

I had cataract surgery in Nov 2021 and I am still dealing with the fallout. I was farsighted with astigmatism and green eyes before the surgery. I paid for distance lenses since I wanted to drive without glasses and I wanted toric to correct the astigmatism. I wore reading glasses since I was 8 to read, so it would be no big deal to continue wearing them. I went to a cataract surgery center that was more like a cataract surgery factory. I never spoke to the actual surgeon(s) until 5 minutes before the surgery. All before I dealt with Optometrists.

It took 11 months for my eyes to heal and stabilize. I had 5 different prescriptions for glasses during that time. Today, I still wear glasses for distance and reading and still have astigmatism.

I woke up one morning and everything was BLUE. Now, everything in natural light has a blue cast. This drives me crazy on overcast winter days. I put every light on in the house to counter it. People wearing glasses outside have yellow glasses on to me. I also see blue poka-dots sometimes. The wrong lenses were used and the surgeons never accounted for my light eye color.

For the first year I had terrible pain in my right eye when I look down or to the side at an acute angle. That has calmed down and is no longer a 20 on a scale of 1-10, more like a 5.

I have gone back to the surgery center for these issue and all I got was "We don't see anything wrong". But they claimed to see a bleed in my left optic nerve that was not there before surgery and claimed that now I had glaucoma. Two glaucoma specialists, more testing, more money and more time and both said, that I don't have glaucoma and that the bleed was caused by the surgery.

Bottom line, cataract surgery can go wrong, and the after effects last forever.

Make sure you talk face to face with the actual surgeon who will perform the operation well before the surgery and that you both agree on what will be the outcome. Do not use an intermediary.

Good luck!

I will be 86 in several months. My eye doctor has been saying for years that I had cataracts, but they were not ready for surgery yet. I moved and changed docs for conveniences. He said I needed the surgery 10 years ago, I. have had it scheduled twice this year but cancelled the appointments both times. I understand that while they are healing that you are not to bend over or cough. I have bronchiectasis and have to do airway clearance at least 2 times a day to get the mucus out of my lungs, That involves being ing over the sink after nebulizing meds and coughing (postural drainage.).
I am afraid of dislodging the lens, causing bleeding or whatever complications that could result from bending over and coughing. In the meantime, my vision is getting worse. I have not been able to drive at night for several years and for the past couple of years the sun in blinding. My vision is very blurred. I would like to know what others have done after cataract surgery when having to bend over. (It is not a matter of not doing airway clearance. My lungs would fill up to the point tht I could not breath if I missed a day.

@raney Can you check with your specialist who handles your issue of the bronchiectasis? You could ask their advice on what to do, seeing that they would know you and your individual case. Anyway, that is what I would do. And perhaps you could get both that dr and your eye dr to communicate with each other to make sure your eye issues are handled sooner rather than later.

Do you think that could be done?
Ginger