Cataract surgery

I had my one eye done and it improved things greatly. Waiting to have the second and I can't wait. If I close my good eye everything takes on a yellow tinge which is horrible and I can't focus even with glasses on. It is well worth getting done and is nothing to worry about.

I was told I needed cataracts in both eyes done about 5/6 years ago - I had one but I felt it didn't feel comfortable and my range of peripheral vision seemed restricted so when I asked to have an appointment for the first to be reviewed and if I would need the other I was told the operstion had gone normally but that the other wasn't bad enough and at the time they were only doing one per person on the nhs. I now look at my eyes in the mirror and the one which had a cataract done looks 'odd' not natural and, the effects of 2-tone vision means I look at my net curtains through the treated eye because they're bright and white whereas the other eye makes them look as if they have 20 years of nicotine staining!!

Southdowns- there are other ways of checking your eye pressures which do not involve a puff of air, but not every practice will have one of the alternative methods ( such as an Icare tonometer an applanation tonometer which requires the use of a drop in each eye). It may be worth asking before you make an appointment (if that is your particular dislike) what methods they use to check eye pressures.
Heads are not clamped in anything - but some examination techniques require the head to stay nice and still, so a chin and head rest is used to help you keep still.
I have been referred by my optometrist for cataract surgery but the first wait is to for the 'non urgent' telephone appointment to speak to the GP continue the referral to the hospital.

Thank you Rosina, that is very reassuring - and encouraging too!

I had both eyes done about 10 years ago and ‘have never looked back’ I still wear specs - varilux, then one pair does all

I had my first cataract done in 2019 - I was only 62 and had suddenly gone completely blind in one eye. It was VERY scary. I was deeply apprehensive, and very, very squeamish about eyes anyway.

Before the operation I got some anti anxiety pills from my GP.

And, in the event, it was really easy and I needn't have worried at all. Mild discomfort at most.

Can't wait to get my other eye done but alas it's not yet bad enough for the NHS and I can't afford to go private. Just bad enough so I have difficulty putting on eye makeup (first world problem, I know....)

Glammajx
I have had cataracts removed from both of my eyes. Do not worry ask your GP for a referral to your local specialist centre. These professionals know what they are doing and will be able to give you the best advice. I appreciated been told that it was best to leave my cataracts to ‘ripen’, which I did. I then went in day surgery twice over a six month period and had both eyes operated on. I’d also like to say that the after care is as important and I found the support of my husband invaluable in dealing with the aftercare medication via eye drops. So if you can get a BFF or kind relative to stay over for a week after your operations. A kindly neighbour would do, it’s just that some people have difficulty putting in eye drops. Several members of my church have recently had their cataracts removed and are overjoyed at the difference it makes. I still wear my glasses but am so happy that I can see with such clarity.

Had both of mine done 12 years ago, really recommend it. However back then there was a wait of over 18 months so decided to go privately.This was in Essex. Living in Suffolk now DH saw optician just over 4 weeks ago and goes to have the first eye done tomorrow. There are two clinics in Suffolk that do the op and there is no waiting list for NHS patients.

I had cataracts last year and Boots said I could not choose my new varifocals until I had surgery. Did a lot of research and as I kept losing my glasses I had my eyes operated on to get new lenses. I no longer wear glasses and it was so worth the cost. At my age I am not saving up for my children!

I had my cataract operation just over three years ago
They were due to do my other eye but covid stopped that
Everything was brighter in the eye done, but has returned worse now in that eye than the other one
Regarding the operation it was fairly comfortable ( not pleasant though ) just the thought really and being awake.
I was only there around a hour or so and other than using eye drops and not bending about much it was straight forward afterwards..

I've had both eyes done on the NHS, the first one worked really well, but the second has left me with slightly cloudy vision. I still can't really see well enough to drive confidently at night so I simply don't do it.
The sensitivity to bright light didn't last long. One interesting thing that happened is that colours now appear different - apparently the cataract makes colours take on a slightly more yellow tinge, so what now appears to be blue looked more greenish before. My poor husband ended up repainting the living room because I didn't like the new blue! A major advantage has been that I no longer need glasses for driving as the new lenses have a prescription which has corrected my old short-sightedness to some extent. I do need reading glasses more than I did, though that might simply be old age.

cc You may need a bit of laser treatment. That happened to me.

Luckygirl13 Don’t feel guilty, best of luck with the operation. Hsb doth of mine done and as someone said it’s now a bit like seeing the world in HD. My glare hasn’t gone after a number years but I love wearing tinted glasses - so no probs.x

I had mine done and was nervous beforehand but I thought, well I won't feel anything because of the local anaesthetic and won't see anything with a bright light shining in my eye and so it was. The course of eye drops afterwards is very tedious.

Southdowns I was encouraged by a friend who had both her eyes treated - I was horrified at the prospect and asked her how she could bear to have her eyes touched. She talked me through what had happened, and gave me the courage to go ahead when new lenses were offered. I didn't mention that the procedure took about ten minutes, and I had no side effects - vision was outstandingly good from the moment I walked out of the clinic. Four weeks of drops - no great problem - I have never been more pleased with anything in my life, and so grateful to the NHS.

Both mine have been done and I can read newspaper print without glasses. I have mono vision. 2nd surgery done 8 yrs ago and I'm 80+.

I had a cataract removed from my right eye three years ago.

The op. (laser surgery) took about forty minutes. I had no pain either during the op. or later that day.

I had been told they could not completely correct my sight - something I had not envisaged, as I have worn glasses due to astigmatisms in both eyes since the age of seven. My expectation was to see as I had before the cataract formed,

Instead I now see better with my right eye than I ever remember doing.

I have an appointment to have the cataract in my left eye assessed towards the end of November and I hope it will be possible to have that cataract removed soon, too.

I hope you have as good a result as I have had.

I have quite literally spent more uncomfortable half-hours at the dentist's than having a cataract removed.

I had both mine done just before lockdown, one on the NHS and one privately as the NHS said my second eye didn't qualify! The difference has been amazing. I hadn't realised I had been looking through a brown fog until afterwards when I discovered I was wearing a pretty lilac-coloured skirt, not the grey one I thought I had!! Now I can drive in the dark and match colours. I still can't quite get used to being slightly long-sighted rather than very short-sighted, and I still have to cope with very many floaters, but the difference overall is just amazing.
Friends who have had theirs done recently tell me that the anaesthetic is given in the form of drops rather than by injection, and that the NHS only uses non-corrective replacement lenses I had the choice of lens three years ago. Back then, I had my hospital assessment on a bank holiday Saturday, and, much to my amazement, on the following Tuesday I had a phone call from the eye clinic saying they'd had a last-minute cancellation, and could I be at the hospital within the hour!! Absolutely I could!!
I think aftercare is a bit different too, and some people even have both done at once as a result!
Go for it and enjoy your improved eyesight for the rest of your life

I had both my eyes done a few years ago. Left one first which unfortunately didn't make any difference. For the second one, because of this, they made adjustments to their measurements and thankfully the second one worked. What a difference. I could even read a paper with that eye. Hospital told me I might have problems with varifocals as one eye was so much worse than the other, but it was fine. They can't operate again on the one that didn't work unfortunately, but I've got one very good eye so to my mind worth doing.

Had both mine done early this year , its like taking film off your eyes the only drawback for me is a little dryness and a glare at night when driving so I use the yellow glasses , it’s the best thing I have done

I had my right eye dome in April, I was pleased to find that everything looked so colourful again, because everything seemed to have a grey screen over it before. After a few days I realised I could no longer read my messages on my phone without wearing glasses, which I could do easily before. I was hoping my sight would get better in time but 6 months later I have to accept that my eyesight in the right eye is now worse.
I don’t think I will have the left one done now.

Spanisheyes

I had my right eye dome in April, I was pleased to find that everything looked so colourful again, because everything seemed to have a grey screen over it before. After a few days I realised I could no longer read my messages on my phone without wearing glasses, which I could do easily before. I was hoping my sight would get better in time but 6 months later I have to accept that my eyesight in the right eye is now worse.
I don’t think I will have the left one done now.

In what way is it worse? I am expecting to go on wearing glasses after the op - I hope for varifocal glasses so that I do not have to keep changing them to read. It is swings and roundabouts a bit I am led to believe. I am guessing that after the op I will be able to see distance better, but need reading glasses/varifocals.

I am not concerned about the op itself as I have previously had treatment for a torn retina and that was not a bit scary.

Had left eye operated on 4 years ago…it didn’t go right…..I ended up with a Ptosis which they said was caused ‘partly’ by surgery so offered a repair ( eyelid lift) ….that took a year to arrange as NHS didn’t want to pay for ‘cosmetic surgery ‘ but they eventually said ‘yes’. Had that done and the surgeon admitted he’d taken too much out of the eyelid …which left me with an eye that would not close properly….so that had produced a ‘dry eye’ problem and two years of eye exercises to correct. Eye drops for life which I have to pay for and they cost £10-12 a tiny bottle! And after all this I’ve been left with what feels like a piece of wood splinter on my eye ….horrible feeling and it never goes away. Now I need my right eye operated on…. Think you know my response to that. Apparently I’ve been told that 1 in a 1000 ‘dont work out correct’ ….hmmm ….doesn’t cut any ice when you’re that person.

Had mine done exactly a week ago. I have only been a passenger at night in the rain, but noticed an improvement in my sight straight away. I will start driving at night now having given up a bit 12 months ago. No problems at all simply a feeling of having sand in my eye for less than 24hrs.

My husband has just had his second one done. He's incredibly squeamish about anything medical but was absolutely fine. He has a complicated eye history (posner schlossman syndrome - probably spelt wrongly) and also, at one point he'd have one tear in his retina fixed then it would tear somewhere else. But the results of his cataract operation have been great. I hope that yours goes well, too.