Just completed cataract surgery on both eyes.

How impaired was your vision before you got the surgery?

My dad had cataracts. Maybe I will one day as well. Is this something you knew you had, or was discovered during routine eye exam, or?

I thought eating cataracts was GOOD for your eyes.

R1 See above. My left eye was nearsighted to -19. My surgeon’s office nurse told me she had never seen an RX that bad. (Contacts don’t go past -12, I believe.) My right eye was -8. I was unable to see those large, overhead freeway exit signs even with contacts and the final few weeks before surgery, I wore contacts AND 3.00 readers and still couldn’t see subtitles on my huge TV screen from ten feet away. It was bad. I can see about 20/25 in both eyes now and only have to wear readers for very close up work. It’s life changing.

R2 I’ve always had bad vision but last fall, I noticed that it was dramatically worsening. I finally saw my optometrist in February and she diagnosed it. Then Covid hit, of course, so I had to wait until early June. Each surgery took about ten minutes and I was fairly lucid the entire time. I was able to make a Clockwork Orange joke, even.

Did you have them both done at once? In my mother's case they were about a month apart.

Among other improvements, she was most surprised by color perception, which led to her being quite upset at her most recent wardrobe purchases. She gave us hell for letting her parade around in those flamboyant colors.

That's calcium, Rose, not cataracts.

OP, I wish you hadn’t said “under the knife” when discussing your eyes. That is my nightmare, having anything sharp near my eyes.

But I appreciate offering advice!

I had both eyes done a few years ago. Other than improved clarity and could now see without my glasses (except for reading small print), the first thing I noticed that colors were more vivid and how bright white things were. I guess the cataracts made colors dull.

What I didn't know is that some people, like me, need to have another procedure a few years later to open a hole in the replacement lens in both eyes to restore a glaze that formed over the lens which blurred my vision. After the procedure my clear eyesight was restored. R8 wouldn't like this procedure because a laser was used to open the hole in the replacement lens.

R8 aren't most cataract surgeries now done with lasers?

The unfortunate side effect of your surgery is that now you can see how god awful your body looks in a mirror because of how out of shape you are!!! We warned you, OP!!!

I’ve had both done as well. They only did one eye at a time, to avoid potential complications if there’s an infection or something. You’re kept awake the whole time after your eye is frozen in place, so I felt a little claustrophobic and panicked at the first one. Invest in the soft lenses, it’s far less complicated and more problem free over time. That’s because a much smaller incision into the eye is needed to replace the lens. The soft lens is folded in quarters when it’s inserted, and you can see a fuzzy image of the surgeon unfolding it in your eye.

I'm right behind you at 51

Cataratas de Niagara

R10, no. You’re thinking of when eyes lenses are reshaped a little to correct vision. Cataracts are when the lens is damaged by disease or an after effect of medications. It’s hardened and thick, like trying to look thru a fingernail. There’s a brilliance to the return of full colours when dealt with.

R15 .

A good client of mine had the surgery on both eyes and when she was finally able to see-

promptly fired her maid of 24 years.

My biggest concern with my cataracts is the practically blinding halos that occur with oncoming headlights when driving at night. But apparently the acuity of my vision hasn't yet deteriorated to the point where insurance will cover the cost of the corrective procedure.

R18, I haven’t experienced that but again, I had no choice but to do the surgery so I would have accepted that risk. TBH, I haven’t driven much at night since either surgery (a week apart), due to Covid, but I didn’t notice anything negative.

How much does the surgery cost?

I had cataract surgery a year and a half ago, I did my worst eye and then the other eye a month later. I was only 47, my doctor thinks that my lens thickened due to taking Plaquenil years earlier. I couldn't see at all out of my left eye so I am glad I had them done, people are getting them done at younger ages these days.

I know somebody who is blind in one eye due to a detached retina, and is concerned about the surgery in their “good” eye. How much downtime was there after the procedure?

I had both eyes done within two weeks. I've had terrible vision for 40 years. I see great now. Still have to wear a light prescription for distance though because I have astigmatism.

R19, I read it that way at first, too, but he's saying that the halos are an effect of having the cataracts. You're probably good.

You're correct, R24.

No downtime to speak of R22. The rest of the day of surgery, you’re recovering from the dilation, and then you can’t do any heavy lifting for a few days, but other than it’s a breeze.

I loved that song by Olivia Newton-John

A cataract, you're giving me a cataract

Must've died and gone to heaven

What a way to go-e-o-e---o

R22 I had some corneal issues in that they needed debriding so it took me a few days to feel normal, maybe a week of light sensitivity and stickiness when waking up. Steroid drops for a few weeks after. I’m 2.5 weeks out from my second eye and feel really good.

Do you get that sparkly reflection in your eyes now from the implanted lenses? Some doctors dismissively refer to it as a "twinkle". Not all intra-ocular lenses do this. I'm curious if doctors have moved away from the reflective ones or if patients even a choice in the matter.

It would be nice if they could find a technological solution to that. I haven't had the surgery and don't need it, but the "doll eyes" effect in others is pretty distracting.

I guess OP is done answering questions.

Did you have double vision as well, OP, before the surgery?

My elder man was astounded by the colors he had been missing all this time, he said they were jumping out at him.

I am not OP but also had cataract surgery last year, R29. No twinkly or sparkly stuff. No halos when driving. The whole process has been a lot less eventful than I had imagined.

R32 Yes, when I was tested by the surgeon prior to surgery, I saw double (without my contacts). You know the letters on the wall screen? I couldn’t even see the largest one.

R29

Sorry! Just now realized people had been commenting. Yes, my left lens flutters a bit on the side when I wake up, especially if the light source is on my left. Doc just told me last week that it would go away and he fully gone within the next year.

Thank you. Yeah, I have this a bit. This thread is very helpful.

Before you had the surgery, OP, were your eyes extremely sensitive to headlights from other cars when driving in the dark?

I've noticed more and more frequently lately that when I'm driving at night and a car pulls up behind me at a light, sometimes the light is so bright that I have to hold my hand over my side mirror and flip my rear view mirror to the tinted setting. At first, I thought it was just idiots driving with their brights on, but it seems to be happening more frequently over the last year, and I'm wondering if it's because of my cataract.

OP here with an update: a month post-op and left eye is 20/25. Right eye is 20/20. Someone above asked about cost. It’s hard to say because insurance is different and mine came in under medical, not vision. Anyway, all told was probably around $5000-6000? Still processing a few claims and may get a few reimbursements due to a Cigna error. This is in Austin and my surgeon was David Tremblay with Mann Eye Institute. Fabulous experience.

I had both eyes done eight years ago, each a week apart. When the doctor took off the bandage the day after the first eye, I actually cried. I had no idea what detail I was missing. Now, I have wet macular degeneration. No link between the surgery and that, though.

Can you see dead people?