Going in for my second cataract surgery today. Had my left eye done two years ago and the Doc said to wait on the right one. Well, it's time. Last time, I was absolutely terrified but as it turned out to be a nothing burger, I'm actually looking forward to it this time. Can't wait to see as clearly as I used to once again.

I'll still have a bit of astigmatism and presbyopia, so I'll still need glasses. I don't mind that a bit as I've been wearing them for five or six years now anyway. But having 20/20 again will be soooo nice. Not as nice as when I was almost 20/10, but nice. And pretty darned good for a 74 y-o.

My brother had both of his done a year ago.
He was worried also, but like you, it turned out to be no problem
Good luck

Been there, done that. Was 20/15 back in the day, I miss that.

My wife is going to have the surgery in a couple weeks. She will get both done a week apart. Blind as a bat now, I won’t let her drive until she has the procedure.

Everyone who's had it that I know of says it was no big deal, and they were happy afterwards, so it seems like something they have pretty down pat.

I learned that cataract removal is the most common surgical procedure done in the US, hands down.

The hard part for me is the timing. Because I'm healthy, I'm scheduled last on the day's roster. That means I have to fast the whole day. I just had a light breakfast, and that's all I can have except for water until after the procedure. I don't even go in until 4 pm, and it will likely be 8 or so before I'm released. Gonna be one hungry booger by then.

I only had a week between mine. That was a pretty rough week with 1 eye seeing great and the other out of focus. I actually had to wear an eye patch on 1 eye to see anything.

There's no surgery that's 100% sucessful but so many of these have been done that it's as close to 100% as any surgery can be. It's totally painless, too, even the day after. I don't think you can say that about any other surgery.

Not sure if cad
or new hip was the best things I ever did

But cad is terrifying but fortunately relatively easy

Be aware that the lenses sometimes gut fuzzy
I went last week they zap with with a laser
I was done in 2 minutes
now both cleaned with laser
my initial surgery each eye a week apart

Hank

I had mine done about two years ago and I was pretty pleased with the results.I was 20/20 without glasses and 20/10 with them. Still can't focus on iron sights though. By last spring, my left eye was clouding up to the point it was like I had smeared vaseline on my glasses and I shoot left handed. Of course, this was about the time covid was starting to affect things and I couldn't get the laser treatment which is supposed to fix it right up so it kept getting worse. Luckily (?) the shooting season was adversely affected as well so I didn't have to compete in any major matches with blurry vision. Pretty bad now but I get lasered in a week and I'm hoping it will clear it up. GD

That happens in about 50% of the cases. It's thin membrane that grows over the new lens. A few zaps with the laser and it's gone for good. The doctor will tell you about the possibility of it. You don't feel a thing but t's kind of weird hearing the membrane sizzle, like your eye is being poached.

I'm kinda looking forward to having it done.My eye doctor told me Medicare would cover it.I turn 65 in eight months.I've worn glasses since I was five.I'm far sighted,my plus factor on my lenses is really high and my astigmatism is too.My doctor said I'd still have to probably have to wear glasses,but he said the prescription would be very much reduced.He said I would be able to see good without glasses,which now is blurry as hell,but the glasses would help with detailed vision.I've talked to a couple of people at the shooting range that have had it done and they all have raved at how clear their vision is now.

You've described me and my situation to a T. I've worn glasses since I was 2.
My wife had her eyes done in monovision where you have 1 eye for reading and 1 for distance. The doc told me that women usually adjust to that just fine but men often have problems with it. He couldn't explain why the difference, but that was his experience. I do know that my wife has lots of problems trying to use binoculars. The focus is very different between her eyes.

I went in about 13 or 14 years ago and asked the doc how lazik would work for me. He tested me and said that Lasik only works with near sightedness and I'm far sighted. Then he gave me the 'good news', I had cataracts. Of course I asked how that was good news. He said that cataract surgery works better than Lasik, is much longer lasting, and insurance will pay for it.

Best wishes Rocky! May you come out of it with the hawk eyes of your youth!

If the surgeon is skilled. There are still plenty of guys doing it who arent doing a good job on even most patients.

Hope your outcome is even better than anticipated, it really is amazing how much your eyesight improves after removing that clouded over window to the world. It also makes one extremely thankful to live in a time when surgery like this is so common and so commonly successful.


One downside which I discovered is that I really need to clean my stuff better, couldn't see the dust on it before. Also, looking in the mirror in the morning, where the hell did all those wrinkles suddenly come from!?

Ha, i used to tell some patients that also. Should have see the look on their face before I explained.

Once a lady, who had gone many years unable to see crap, tried to sue her eye Dr for the wrinkles she got from the sx. True story.

Good fortune on the sx, RR.

Ya, my long time eye doc who helped my blind azz to be able to shoot High Power successfully told me when I was like 40 that the day he found a cataract would be the day to rejoice!

He was right, best thing that's happened to me in years getting the implants. I was lucky enough to be able to afford the toric lens to fix astigmatism at the same time.

Good luck to you Mr. Rocky!

Congrats, in advance. ;-{>8

Same same.

Great info! Thanks!

I think I might be having something like that on my right eye. Had cataract surgery and lenses installed last year.

I'm sure you are busy waiting now, so good luck and God Bless, Be Well, RZ.

I had cataract surgery when I was 21

#DBAP

I had my eyes done about 5 or 6 years ago. t my last exam I was told that there was a film on both lenses with the right eye being to worst of ht two. I got scheduled for the laser treatment. the sitting like forever while they put drops in my eyes about every half hour until finally the doc came in to do his part. Maybe 20-25 minutes later listening to the snap crackle and pop as he burned off the film and did target practice on a bunch of floaters I was told to sit out in the lobby for a half hour and then I could go home. They set me up for an eye exam a week later and not only was all the film gone but it was seeing 20/10 again. Like the cataract surgery it was painless and successful.
Paul B.

I'm hoping for a similar outcome because, as it is, my vision sux. GD

Yay! They had a cancellation and moved me up. Leaving now. May or may not report back today.

Thanks for the good wishes, all.

i hope it all turns out just like it's sposed to

Best of luck to you Rocky.

What amazed me was the anesthesia. On my 2d eye, the nurses had me on the table and prepped. The doc came in and talked to me. What I heard was "We're about ready to get started we're all done". In the middle of that sentence he did the surgery. I clicked out and clicked back in just as fast. I wasn't 100% steady so I couldn't drive but I was fully awake.

Did you get the Michael Jackson drug - propofol?

I don't know what it was, just that it was fast and effective.

It’s what they gave me. Heavily sedated but able to speak and hear.

Rocky: Good luck with the surgery.

WHEW......for a minute there I thought you saw nekkid pictures of Nancy Pelosi.....

How old were you guys when the cataract surgery was done? I am 57 now and my doc says it would be too early.

And what about the use of iron sights after the surgery and everything else is fine? Some of you guys wrote that the use of iron sights is still not possible.

My wife had both done at the same time a couple years ago. Piece of cake, you'll be fine. She now has the eye site of an eagle so I have to be on my best behavior. Kind of a bad deal for me!

I had one done on my left eye like 2017... last year I had to go back and have lazer zap a bunch of scar tissue....

the biggest hurt was it was ALL out of pocket, because we hadn't reached our family's DEDUCTIBLE...

I hate friggin accountants who come up with this Deductible Bull Schidt and the other one... the Co Pay Rackett.....

how few of these clowns are the Cheap Ass ones, who give jewish people a bad name?

Hope all goes well, or went well for ya Rocky....

It did go well. My eye is still a bit milky this morning, but it's improving. No discomfort at all. Have my post-op check later today, then a vision check in a week. I made the anesthesiologist laugh. He announced that he had started the drip and a few seconds later, I confirmed that he had reached "One martini."

One thing irked me. Halfway through the procedure, the nurses started talking about their resumes and related stuff. I finally said "Can we cut the chit-chat and do our jobs?" The doctor didn't say anything right then but I suspect he may have later I was wheeled out. I thought it was unprofessional and lax. If he brings it up again today, that's what I'm going to tell him.

Glad it worked out well for you. Had both my eyes done a couple of years ago. Had an astigmatism corrected in my right eye as well. Still need reading glasses but that's easy to do. Wonderful experience. How they can go in and replace the lens at the back of the eyeball is simply amazing. E

The lens is at the very front, but it is still amazing.

One thing I've noticed is that after the surgery, bright light is more intense. Sun glasses become much more important. It's been 14 years since mine and it's still bright.

Rocky, real glad it worked out well for you. On both of mine I didn't hear much of anything after it got to "three martinis".


On the bright light, yes, I'm noticing that as well. Don't know if it's because the translucent shade has been removed from my eyes or if the iris can't close enough. Been doing with some cheaper generic sunglasses but might invest in some high quality ones going forward.

During a recent colonoscopy, it didn't bother me at all that the nurses and doctor talked about things unrelated to my wrinkled old butt! When I had my eyes done, the whole procedure was accomplished so quickly, once the doctor picked up the instrument, there was no time for much of a conversation though we talked about shooting a bit. GD

I was completely out during both of mine. They could have talked about my manhood and I wouldn't have known or cared.

Yes. Had mine done in the previous March and July getting tuned up for distance. Had always been near sighted and needed glasses for way out there. Now I'm far sighted and need glasses for reading, fly tying, etc. If I need to tighten a screw or address some issue with my reading glasses now, I need glasses to work on my glasses.

Extremely pleased with my results. Surgeon said when he first began such work, it was a 3 day inpatient process. Now prep time takes longer than the surgery and one is out the door.

The process is a little different when they use the laser to break up the old lens.
You're wide awake for the laser part. Doc is telling you when it's coming and not to move.
They do give you a happy pill and all kinds of drops in the eye. When he put that tool that holds the lids back it was a little unnerving but I didn't give a chit. Good pill.
After the laser they roll you to another room to finish up. Got the joy juice in the arm then and completely out.
The folks working in there were all business no chit chat. The surgeon was like a machine himself, he questioned the help like it was a preflight.

Glad you're doing well Rocky.

I wasn't even aware of the device that held my eyelid open until they tore it off. I was told that I had to stay awake so as to stare at the light while the Doc worked, and if I felt like I was going to nod off, to say so.

I do realize that the op room staff can probably work perfectly while chit chatting due to the amount of practice they get. But to the PATIENT it is unprofessional, unnerving, and frightening.

I’ve worn eyeglasses since 7th grade, so used to having them in place.

I found I needed two sets of cheater glasses. One for phone/laptop distance, and one for bench distance.

I have full time eyeglasses now that other than correction for astigmatism, are basically panes with progressive bifocals. Works great!

Still need a pair for glasses work.

My situation exactly. I've been wearing them for 70 years and would have a hard time getting used to them being gone.

four eyes bender