Cataract Operation Looming.

The line is: are these cataracts interfering with my daily life?

I was quite anxious too Nannato3, but would highly recommend SpaMedica. 💐

Cataracts are the commonest operation in the world. It’s quick, safe, painless and most old people can see well thanks to this.
Stop worrying.

Luckygirl3

The line is: are these cataracts interfering with my daily life?

Hi Yes it has started to interfere with my daily life so I know the sensible thing to do is get it done.

I have one eye shortsighted and the other eye longsighted and it's the shortsighted one causing the problem.

I had cataracts in both eyes, surgery 3 months apart last year.

I'm in Scotland . Cataracts first diagnosed and tracked by my regular optometrist at Boots; who referred me to Scottish NHS when they deteriorated enough to need surgery.

From then on all my treatment and follow up was in NHS Scotland "National Treatment Centre" which is a fab purpose built brand new facility for opthalmic and orthopaedic surgery only. Surgeon told me " I'll also correct your vision; you won't need glasses once I've done both eyes"' .

I've been very short sighted and worn glasses full time since age 7. Without glasses I couldn't recognise my own family across the road. Since cataract surgery , I am glasses free unless reading. For screens / long periods book reading, as advised by surgeon I don a pair of lowest power supermarket off the peg reading glasses, latest pair cost £4.99.
(My previous Zeiss high refraction prescription varifocals cost £700).

On surgery day, as I waited to go in, the lady beside me had just come out of theatre. She kept seeing "I can SEE. I can SEE. It's a miracle". My turn; taken to theatre by a nurse who told me " I am your support person. That's all I do. I'll be right here beside you throughout if you want me to talk to you and to hold your hand. " I didn't want to hold hands and asked her not to talk because I was going to do a relaxation technique , but she never moved from sitting beside me. All patients get this. I was lying back and a very light paper shield was placed over my face except one eye. The surgeon told me "Lie as still as you can. I can stop if you want to move or cough ; so just tell me right away if you need a pause. " I was fine , didn't need to move or cough.

Eye drops in eye..tiny sting sensation. Anaesthetic injection around the skin around my eye (not in the eye) ; its on skin only and the needle is so tiny I barely felt a prick. No pain or wince. Once its numb, the eyelids are held open, I think by something akin to eyelash curlers but I couldn;t see what. The hold-open thingy is not remotely painful, uncomfortable or wincemaking You can't feel it. Now your eye is open and ready and can't feel a thing.

Blinking at a crucial moment during surgery was just one of the daft things I'd imagined happening. The other was, that I'd see a hand with a scalpel coming towards my eye. I was totally wrong; the last thing I saw was a sudden bright light. Then grey nothing. I did not watch my own surgery happening :-)

I just lay there doing gentle relaxation breathing from yoga days. (I do same at the dentist because I hate dentistry ) . I focused entirely on my breaths. No pain or discomfort and suprisingly quickly was told I was all done. Surgeon said " That went perfectly. You'll spend half an hour resting in the waiting room then go home. I'll see you tomorrow". . I'd felt nothing at all. My support nurse had me sit in a wheelchair (I am not disabled; everyone gets this) to wheel me back down the corridor to the waiting area. To my absolute amazement, I'm wearing no glasses but can see every thing sharp and perfect through the newly operated eye ; it could read the hospital signs on the walls. Next thing I'm back in the waiting room and now it's me saying "I can SEE I can SEE it's a miracle". It really is. When DH came through the main entrance my new eye recognised him.

I was given an eye shield for first night and sets of drops with instructions, and an appointment next day for follow up check. Then went home. I had no blurred vision, no pain, no discomfort.

Three things; bring sunglasses to travel home. Daylight is suddenly much brighter and it takes a while for your eye to adjust.
If your other eye still needs to wear glasses, take out the lens on the side that just had surgery; because your old prescription is all wrong for new eye. .
The drops. I had three different kinds to be put in my eye at different times through every day for weeks. Easy to lose count where you're up to. I made a date and time chart , stuck it on the bathroom wall and marked off every drop with a pen.
Be very meticulous about hand hygeine when doing drops. If you live alone you might find it useful to buy an eye drop-applicator online.

Second eye was just as easy and trouble free as the first. My NHS treatment was just superb and the result is simply wonderful. 70 years of wearing glasses all day every day and helpless without them, and now I just wake up every morning with instant excellent eyesight. A year later I'm still wowed at naked eyes being able to read the alarm clock, shampoo bottles in the shower, raindrops on the window, TV subtitles.

At my final hospital check up I was shown that chart of letters in descending sizes. Before surgery ( and for decades before I had cataracts) my naked eyes could only read top letter..Now, they can read the bottom line.

In my experience this operation is truly an instant miracle.

I had two done a few years ago, a couple of months apart. It wasn't at all painful, just a strange sensation, and your eye will be covered for the day. My eyes were very sensitive to light for a while, particularly first thing, so I wore sunglasses for a time. They usually ask you to get somebody to collect you afterwards, you will definitely not be able to drive for a few days.
I chose to have lenses that make one eye long sighted and one shorter sighted as that is what my eyes were like beforehand and I found it useful as I don't need to wear glasses for driving or for reading. In general my eyesight is greatly improved but colours are strangely altered as the cataracts give everything a slightly yellow tinge, so what previously looked greeny blue now looks just blue.

butterandjam Next thing I'm back in the waiting room and now it's me saying "I can SEE I can SEE it's a miracle". It really is. When DH came through the main entrance my new eye recognised him.
Thanks for making me laugh . I hope I come out saying the same.

It's a doddle. You have local anaesthetic so you can't feel anything and a bright light shining in your eyes so you can't see anything. Re lying down you won't be the first person to be like that, they will have a way round it. The print on my newspaper the following day was miraculously clear! The biggest nuisance is the drops that last for weeks.

I forgot the water spray! Not sure why that is part of the procedure, but a nurse leapt at me with a towel when I stood up, and said crossly 'You have absolutely soaked her hair!' to the surgeon. I didn't mind or care - it was such a wonderful procedure; no specs or contact lenses needed.

Hi.
Please don’t stress. Nothing to worry about. You can ask for help re your back issues. I did. No problem. The surgery does not take long. Not painful and you put drops in when at home. Maybe wear sunglasses if outside my neighbour did that. Go for it. Makes a huge difference to life she tells me. You will see things in a different way. Colours especially. Enjoy.

PS
I’m glad I had both mine done. Well worth it I can assure you.
My husband is going to have his done in the near future. Sooner the better.
X

I can reiterate all the positive comments. I have had both of mine done with absolutely no pain or problems. Mind you I did fall over in their car park when I went back for my check up and broke my neck of femur. But that's another story!!

I am going for my second cataract operation on tuesday morning. The first one went ok and I stuck to all the rules, especially as I live alone, good excuse why you cant do things like cleaning, bending over etc. But I am claustrophobic and found it difficult to cope with a covering over my face. I told them what I was like and they were fine just allowing me to calm down and stop panic breathing. Great staff, everyone treated me very well and no tut tutting about me heavy breathing for a bit. So do go ahead and as everyone says, you only realize how poor your eyesight has got as it gets worse very slowly, when you get it done. For me it is the freedom to be able to drive and get about. With my back problems, cant manage to walk to the bus stop so grateful to get it done. Good luck

Don't be scared. Mine was done by laser whilst I reclined in the same kind of chair as dentists use, and the following day I could see better than I had done since I was seven.

Phone the hospital you are considering, explain about the condition that causes you pain, and your consequent worries.

In all the treatment took under an hour.

I have had cataract surgery on both eyes and the worst part for me was waiting for the anaesthetic drops to work. I felt nothing during the procedure or afterwards.

It's brilliant - no pun intended - painless even without any form of anaesthesia and over very quickly and with immediate benefits. I had my first 4 weeks ago and awaiting the call for my other one to be done in about a month.

It truly is a doddle. I've had both eyes done. I was very scared before the first one - but found out that when friends had said that it was painless they were absolutely right!
I think it takes about 20 - 30 minutes. The first one I had I was just laying on a trolley looking up at a light.
The second one ( at same NHS eye clinic) - about a year later - was done in style; A large electricity driven chair on wheels arrived at the waiting room and I climbed up onto the chair, which then proceeded to the theatre , where my head was tipped back slightly.
I had no after effects with either , and have continued to drive. Since then I've had some kind of laser treatment ( on the NHS) and can now read TV subtitles without my glasses on! As an octogenarian that's pretty amazing, in my opinion!!
DOn;t worry you'll be fine.

I had both eyes done a few weeks ago under the NHS here in London. I have other problems so lying flat is uncomfortable. The anaesthetist and team got pillows to put under my legs to assure my comfort and ability to remain still. It was amazing a bit scary. Please make sure you discuss honestly your fears pre op. They can give you something for the anxiety. Post op it is six weeks of drops quite complicated at the beginni g. I live alone and stuck to the regime. It is now a miracle. It is the most prominent surgery worldwide annd we are lucky enough to get it free. Go for it.

Take a good book or your knitting/crossword if you are getting it done in hospital. Hubby has had both done and each time, they make early morning appointments for everyone, so you could be straight in, or wait up to 4 hours! In many areas you can opt for local clinics.

He delayed his several times until I insisted because he kept walking into door handles and getting some nasty bruises. Your eyesight goes down gradually so you do not notice.

He said first one was OK, but 2nd was itchy for a while, but nothing Paracetamol could not fix. Do not have them both done at the same time.

It's like seeing in HD. Before, the tv/ print was fuzzy. I had both eyes done with a space of 6 weeks. I can watch television with no glasses,it's one of the best things I've ever had done.

Had a lot more eye surgery than cataract removal done though cataract was the last op. Absolutely no problems. Completely painless so don't worry. Recommended to cover the first night was given an eye patch. Next morning it was like having the windows cleaned. Tested myself on car numver plates in street and drove the 49 mile trip home. I selected a hospital in city, stayed in Premier in almost next door to hosptal for the night following surgery. Don't bother with those yellow tinted glasses, they are not needed or of any use. I did not want to wait the 64 weeks for NHS treatment, I went private. Optician gave me info on 3 eye surgery hospitals and I chose best location for me.

I had both eyes done at the beginning of the year. I had sedation. It doesn't knock you out but you feel very relaxed and the procedure only seems to take a few minutes.

Nanato3, I had both eyes done recently at SpaMedica and there is absolutely nothing to worry about. Like you, I was very scared, but the procedure is completely painless and takes about ten to fifteen minutes per eye. All you see are swirly pink colours and then afterwards they cover the eye with a clear plastic shield and you’re good to go home. You keep the shield on overnight and then remove it the next morning and start using the eyedrops they give you. I can see perfectly now, drive again and do close up work as well. I could see clearly the very next day after the first procedure, and after a couple of days for the second eye.

I would agree with everything that’s been said - cataract surgery is a doddle. I was worried before my first op last November, after my optician recommended I had it done, even though I had no symptoms. He happened to mention that I would have much better vision after wearing glasses since the age of 10! I was gob-smacked! I had the left eye done at Spa Medica - it’s a fantastic place! More like a private clinic than NHS. I had a pre-op then returned the following week for the op. I had to wait in various rooms before it was actually done, so I’d recommend taking a good book! There were lockers to use for valuables if needed. I had anaesthetic drops in my eye in an ante room, answered some questions, then the actual op only took 10 mins at the most! All I could see was bright coloured lights and then the actual lens being put in place! I couldn’t believe the improvement in my distance vision. The only drawback is that now I can’t read without glasses, whereas before I could, so I still find that varifocals are the easiest option. Over Christmas I had to wear glasses with the left lens removed, because my right eye was due to be operated on in January. Quite funny, because my lenses are photochromic, so only one side went darker! The second op also went well. I can legally drive without glasses, although my distance vision isn’t absolutely perfect, but I find that I’m constantly needing to read something, so varifocals work best for me. Can’t be doing with reading glasses, on and off every few minutes!
The best benefit for me is being able to go swimming without everything being blurred. 😎

Forgot to mention - I was given pillows to place under my knees as I find lying flat on my back uncomfortable.