Found out yesterday I have cataracks. Doc wants me to get it done before he makes my glasses, just wondering what I should expect. Got to get the lids worked on too.

Wife had both eyes done, a week apart. Complete non-issue. Eyedrops for a couple of days after.

Funny as I just did a search about cataracts on the forum yesterday.

Just a sample:
https://sigforum.com/eve/forum...090026934#7090026934
https://sigforum.com/eve/forum...120000654#8120000654
https://sigforum.com/eve/forum...500079574#9500079574

Had both of my eyes done a few years ago. My sight is close to 20-20 now. Easy Peasy.

Nothing to it. Had the second eye done a little over a year ago. In and out in no time.

Wait a few months before getting the new glasses. My eyesight continued to change for a while afterwards.

Of all the things worth worrying about now days, cataract surgery should be way down the list.

Jim

There are all kinds of options, some of them may just get you out of having to wear glasses completely. This is one thing you don't want to cheap out on. I went from being legally blind without my glasses to not having to wear them at all. Had one eye done one week and the next one a week later. You'll be amazed at how much better you will be able to see after a few weeks of recovery. Make sure you follow the aftercare directions to the letter.

I had it done at Filutowski Eye Clinic, a huge organization here in Florida, specializing in laser and cataract procedures. They explained all the options and upgrades that were available. I chose to go with the basics, so no extra cost for things like multi-focus lens, etc. and everything was covered by insurance other than a few piddly items like the drops (forty-five bucks for that).

The actual procedure was very straight-forward. I declined the valium that was offered, I do not like the after-effects of drugs, tranquilizers, sedatives, etc. They do use drops to numb, so there was no pain at all, there was some mild discomfort where I felt things like tugging and pulling but no pain. I had to stare into a bright light while Dr. Filutowski was working and that might have been the most uncomfortable part, but it didn't take long, in and out of the OR in ten minutes.

The next morning I was astounded by the change in vision. Whiter whites and brighter colors, things were sharp and clear, and continued to improve over a couple of weeks.

I had to sleep with a pirate patch over that eye, so that I would not inadvertently rub it in my sleep. I had to use drops for a few weeks, four times / day for the first week, three times daily for the second week, etc.

A year or two later, there was a slight haze in my vision, some sort of cloudy thing on the inside of the implanted replacement lens if I understand correctly. They said that this is not at all unusual, the fix for this is a one-time thing, very simple, and the problem will not come back. The fix is a very short shot with a laser to clear the "fog" -- it's called a YAG capsulotomy, and took maybe five seconds or so.

My distant vision is now good enough that I can pass the vision requirements for flying and driving without my glasses. I do wear glasses for desk work, computer work, and reading, but I don't need them for walking around or normal outdoor activity.

They did the non-dominant eye first. Not knowing what the procedure was going to be like, and not taking any tranquilizer, my blood pressure was 207 / 92 at the pre-op check. Two weeks later, when they did the second eye, I knew what to expect and my anxiety level was much lower!

For the second one, I did bring a couple of rubber squeeze balls to hold in my hands and squeeze during the procedure, that helped me deal with staring into the bright light and the small amount of discomfort associated with the feeling of tugging and pulling (no pain at all, because of the numbing eye drops).

I was very light-sensitive for a day or two, wore sunglasses all the time at first.

All in all, not a bad procedure at all, and the results are really astonishing.

The wife and I both had cataract surgery about five years ago. Very simple and pain free. My wife had the eyelid surgery, too, and was very pleased with how much better she felt afterwards.

We had both worn glasses since elementary school and ended up with perfect vision.

We both had general anesthesia. Woke up seeing better.

I had one eye dialed for distance sight and the other for close up vision. It works for me.

The funny thing is, I thought I would never miss my glasses. Nope. I found out the world is full of dust, dirt and other things that glasses keep out of one's eyes. So I often wear safety glasses when cycling, driving the tractor and pitching hay.

Everything is much brighter, so I wear photogray sunglasses a lot.

Expect to be very, very happy!

I do the anesthesia for these which is not much. 5-15 min total per eye. Email me if you have questions

Had both eyes done a couple of years ago, 2 weeks apart. This is about the least dangerous surgery possible, I think. Prep time about 30 minutes and 5 min for the actual procedure. Some followup necessary.

flashguy

Had both of my eyes done some years ago. Really easy. Went back to work right after for a few hours. (owned my business at the time)

I got the deluxe lenses, and and can see far and read although I use dime store readers for extensive reading with smallish print. If you've got a bad case, get ready to see colors again.

Bald1 posted quite a few links to past threads, the last one is from my surgery experience.

To summarize there were quite a few appointments before hand to evaluate the eye and exactly what lens was right for the optimal correction.

You'll show up on the day of the surgery several hours ahead. You'll spend most of the time lying there while various drops are applied and are allowed to work. There is a time frame required between them. One has a numbing agent in it which allows the surgeon to come in and mark your eye. It's a weird sensation but not uncomfortable. You'll get the sedative applied and will be wheeled into the surgery room. This all takes 2+ hours.

The surgery is 5-10 minutes tops. When you recover from the mild sedative you'll have a perforated patch over your eye. Mine was clear plastic so you can see through it. A little while later I was on the way home.

24 Hours post Op you have an appointment to have the eye checked. You'll also have a few different drops to apply at various times per day for a few weeks. The eye patch had to be worn 24/7 until the post op appt. I was then told I only had to wear it at night, assuming I wouldn't be around anything potentially risky to the eye. You also can't rub the eye or get any water in it so VERY careful showering.

Vision had an instant remarkable improvement, that increased over time. It will fluctuate a bit as the eye settles down and accepts the lens. I had some days I was concerned as vision degraded but in a week I was back to good vision. I also found it was better in the morning and degraded during the day. That time frame shifted over time until there was no degradation.

You'll likely also notice a little flashing in the corner of your eye. This is light reflecting off the edge of the lens. Normal until it fully seats and is encapsulated. It does go away permanently, took me 6-8 months to fully stop. It's annoying at worst.

My Cataract surgery did NOT go well.
For the first 25 years of my adult life I worked as a commercial Photographer. My primary tool was a 8"x10" view camera. I would spend hours each day looking at upside down images in the ground glass with a black cloth draped over my head.I would "stop" the lens down to F=90 to check for sharpness and depth of field on the ground glass with a lupe. I would then check the film with a lupe for sharpness.
I know what sharpness is.
I spent the last 30 years working as a LE Firearms instructor looking at gun sights.

I went to a Dr. who had a several offices in the Chicago area. I checked Her credentials on line and was impressed with Her education.When I met Her I felt she was indeed very intelligent maybe a classic over achiever. I was a bit worried that being an Eye Surgeon might need a different skill set than learning from books, but I went with Her. Unless you personally know any Dr. its hard to actually know the skill set a Dr. has, its a matter of trust, you trust the Dr. has the skill set you need.

She told me that my right dominant eye needed cataract surgery and my left eye was just below the acceptable range for insurance to cover it, but she could "fudge" the results so it would also be covered.
My common sense alarm began to buzz a bit because I sensed MONEY was now involved in decision making.MONEY for Her.
The up selling to the $3000.00+ out of pocket, "high tech" lens began. I bit hook line and sinker and agreed to the up charge.
I was NOT told of any down side to the "high tech" lens.

The Dr. said I needed to have my right eye resurfaced prior to the cataract surgery in order for the "high tech" lens to fit.
This procedure was VERY painful after surgery. I was on pain meds for several days following that surgery. Taking the pain meds was NOT an option.

After the recovery period the DR. told me we were good to go on the cataract surgery.
The operation was no big deal and went smoothly.
I immediately noticed a fog around everything, going out in day light or experiencing headlights or any bright light in my eye was horrible. I complained to the Dr. but she told me to wait. I did. Over the course of almost 1 year ( while she continued to pressure me into getting the left eye done)Nothing improved. When I complained she would tell me that I was too picky, that most all other patients would never complain about what I thought was a problem.
I can tell the difference between good vision and bad. I had BAD.
I decided that something including the DR. had to change. I finally came to the decision that I needed to go someplace that I could trust had the best Dr. to find the problem.
I tried the Mayo Clinic in Rochester but they refused to see me. I then turned to the Cleveland Clinic Cole Eye Institute. They agreed to see me.
I have never been to such a buttoned Up operation as I found at the Cleveland Clinic.
It was well worth the 6 hour drive from Chicago.
I went to my appointment, no waiting, went right to eye tests, then after 1 hour of testing I saw the Dr. He was very gracious and generally concerned about my problem. He had all the test results in front of him and was immediately able to diagnosis the problems.
He informed me that the prior surgeon had removed/damaged too much material. He also educated me on the "high Tech" lenses. They reduce the amount of light reaching the eye lens by over 10%, they have rings in them like a fresnal lens that some patients can see and cause a halo.
He told me that I would never be happy with the lens that was installed. He also advised me that because the lens was in for almost a year there could be serious complications if he tried to remove it. That, coupled with the poor prior surgery and the eye damage that was created could be a serous problem. He said that if things did not go well with the extraction a new lens may not be able to go in. He said there was a 80% chance that he could replace the lens. He also said I would need to be awake with just eye drops to relieve pain during the surgery so He could communicate any problems directly to me.
I agreed and made an appointment for surgery several weeks later.
I returned, had the surgery and was elated when the DR. during surgery almost cheered when he announced that he got the old lens out and replaced with the new standard lens with no problems.
I drove to Cleveland by myself so there was nobody to bring me back to my hotel after surgery if anesthesia was needed. I stayed at a Hotel at the Cleveland Clinic that had shuttle service to the clinics campus. The Dr. volunteered to drive me back to the Hotel after surgery if that was needed. He changed his schedule so my surgery would be the last of the day so he could accomplish this. It was not required.

I drove back to Chicago 2 days later. I returned to Cleveland a month later for an exam of the right eye and the cataract surgery on my left eye. All went well, again no anesthesia.
The Dr. told me my right eye would never be as good as my left eye because of the damage done.

Don't ever believe somebody that tells you any surgery is easy with no problems.
Do your own research and follow your gut instincts as to what your being told. Remember that MONEY is a huge factor to some DR. and there practices.

20/400 pre-surgery and 20/10 post surgery. No Valium and an extremely easy procedure 2 weeks apart. Toric lens in each eye for a $3500 premium not covered my Medicare but well worth it. Vision is rock solid 3 years post. I have monovision with my close eye +1 diopter. I couldn’t be happier.

If you don't mind my asking mcrimm, who did your surgery?

quote:

Originally posted by Gustofer:
If you don't mind my asking mcrimm, who did your surgery?

Aaron Alme, MD at Glacier Eye Clinic. Highly recommended. Another very good doc there is Roger Barth, MD. I trust either with my eyes.

I had it done 10 years ago and it has been fantastic. I opted for the extra cost lenses and it was money well spent. I had worn glasses for over 50 years, no more.

I had it done in 2017 at age 66. I could not read a speed limit sign until it was at my fender, I was miserable and felt old. My left eye was so bad I could not read a single letter on the eye chart. I spent the extra $5000 for the optional multifocal lens. Money well spent if it is in your budget. I don't have the perfect vision I had at 18 but I rarely need corrective lens, I can read a medicine bottle in good light. I'm thrilled I can enjoy using iron sights again as I did over 25 year ago, makes me feel younger. Seventy one now and my vision is still comparable to what it was 30 years ago.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Marx,

quote:

Originally posted by mcrimm:

quote:

Originally posted by Gustofer:
If you don't mind my asking mcrimm, who did your surgery?

Aaron Alme, MD at Glacier Eye Clinic. Highly recommended. Another very good doc there is Roger Barth, MD. I trust either with my eyes.

Thanks. I've known both Barth and Remington at Glacier for years and they are good. Haven't heard of the other fella though. I'm looking at likely needing to get my cataracts taken care of this summer so a first hand report is appreciated.