Cataract Surgery

Whispera, MSN, RN · May 1, 2009

Wow, I just went to the ophthalomogogogogogist (can't spell that) and cataract surgery was recommended....I don't know what to do or whether to do it or not. I'm worried about not being able to work afterwards...

Any info anyone can give me would be appreciated!

karenG · May 1, 2009

hi

bit boring but will be worth it!! try listening to the radio or talking books! wont be long before you get your sight back to normal.

Karen

karenG · May 1, 2009

Wow, I just went to the ophthalomogogogogogist (can't spell that) and cataract surgery was recommended....I don't know what to do or whether to do it or not. I'm worried about not being able to work afterwards...
Any info anyone can give me would be appreciated!

its spelt ophthalmologist!

cataract surgery is bread and butter stuff; you should be able to see quite quickly, depends if they put a lens in(they normally do here). so about 6 wks normally before you get your sight back to normal.... almost!

work shouldnt be a problem after the intial post-op period.

good luck

Karen

feralnostalgia · May 1, 2009

just a cautionary note - my mom had cataract surgery years ago, when I was still a little kid. she still has a lot of trouble with driving at night, says she gets lots of glare. it's her only complaint, though.

I second the audiobooks suggestion, and podcasts!

liloadro · May 1, 2009

just a cautionary note - my mom had cataract surgery years ago, when I was still a little kid. she still has a lot of trouble with driving at night, says she gets lots of glare. it's her only complaint, though.
Cataract surgery has changed alot since then. Probably not the same experience now.

systoly · May 1, 2009

Don't know if this will help in any way, but most of the text to speech programs will give you a free trial period.

karenG · May 1, 2009

just a cautionary note - my mom had cataract surgery years ago, when I was still a little kid. she still has a lot of trouble with driving at night, says she gets lots of glare. it's her only complaint, though.
I second the audiobooks suggestion, and podcasts!

its actually more common to have glare with cataracts- due to the opacity in the lens refracting the light. Glare is a big problem as you get older so its probably a combination of things.. ! I am very short sighted (most of us who have ever worked in eyes have a sight problem!) and have problems with glare- due to my sight defect. Its getting worse as I get older and I have thought about anti glare glasses that you can get here. not sure if you can get them there but that might help.

Karen

classicdame, MSN, EdD · May 1, 2009

When I worked in ophthalmology we would tell people to "rest" the "good" eye by patching the other one part of the day. Because your vision is probably different from one eye to the other your brain is confused with the images.

Also, about 2 years after cataract surgery a phenomenon frequently occurs. It is called Irvine-Gass syndrome. Basically it means the barrier between the retina and the new lens has become cloudy. They do a laser treatment for that. The ophthalmologist can tell someone if they are a candidate.

I remember a lady calling me after her surgery COMPLAINING that now she could tell how dirty her house was. Somehow it was our fault.

Good luck on round two.

karenG · May 1, 2009

When I worked in ophthalmology we would tell people to "rest" the "good" eye by patching the other one part of the day. Because your vision is probably different from one eye to the other your brain is confused with the images.

dont think they do that any more.. and never saw it done myself, but then we seem to different stuff for different things!! I wear contact lens. one for distance and one for reading (because i am vain and wont wear bifocal glasses!) My eyes have no problems with the different images.. and i can read ok.

psalm, RN · May 1, 2009

When I worked in ophthalmology we would tell people to "rest" the "good" eye by patching the other one part of the day. Because your vision is probably different from one eye to the other your brain is confused with the images.
Also, about 2 years after cataract surgery a phenomenon frequently occurs. It is called Irvine-Gass syndrome. Basically it means the barrier between the retina and the new lens has become cloudy. They do a laser treatment for that. The ophthalmologist can tell someone if they are a candidate.
I remember a lady calling me after her surgery COMPLAINING that now she could tell how dirty her house was. Somehow it was our fault.
Good luck on round two.

*My* brain is always confused, lol!

So I rest the "good" eye; is that the one the cataract was removed from or the other one? Like I said, I am confused! I had the surgery on the right eye; do I rest the right eye or the left?

Thank you, I am bored and frustrated...and I know it is temporary until my left eye is done. Trying not to complain...

catshowlady · May 2, 2009

I would also suggest audiobooks - you can often borrow them from the library. Or, if you have a Cracker Barrel restaurant nearby, they have a selection that they charge a small fee per day for.

I thought the cataract surgery was a piece of cake - I was able to watch TV right away, and was reading the next day. My eye was a little irritated at the time (not really painful), and so I used ketoprofen for a couple of days postop. Of course, I am comparing the cataract surgeries to my retinal buckle surgery, which took me a couple of weeks before I could even tolerate opening my eyes for more than a second.

I had about 2 years between my cataract surgeries, and I had a whopping difference between images. For those two years, I was a minus-13 in my right eye, and my left eye required a bifocal for reading only. I got used to reading with only one eye. You probably won't have time for that, but you probably could use a patch to cover one so you can use the other. However, I would clear that with the ophthalmologist.

I now require bifocals (I get the no-lines d/t vanity). I believe there are now newer implanted lenses which are multifocal, so you might not require bifocals.

Good luck to you with the second surgery.