Anyone have cataract surgery?

[Dhara]

I had it in both eyes. Excellent results.

 

[strollingbones]

gracie this is not an 'optional' procedure....just like grumpys knees it has to be done or you will be crippled....go for it...you will be able to see again.....sure its scarey ...all this crap is...but it is worth it

 

[Wyatt earp]

I am being scheduled to finally have it done in my right eye and to be honest...it scares the bejesus out of me. I mean..if he fucks up...I'll be blind in one eye. Being one less boob is livable. Being blind in one eye is not. I need my eyes. BOTH of them.

And...I read that they do not knock you out. They just give you that twilight shit, which does not work on me. I woke up in the middle of a colonoscopy ferchrissakes. I don't want to see that scalpel or whatever the hell it is to have them poking around in my eye and FEEL it...or the "twilight" wears off like it tends to do with me. Will they use anesthesia if they know my body does not take the twilight well?

In short...it's freaking me out.

My friend just had both eyes done in February he is still running around and talking about it like a little kid.

I always thought it took longer but he was all healed up seeing that day. (The doctor did each eye in a weeks time) hope this helps .

 

[Judicial review]

They are gonna have to knock me out. Twilight doesn't work on me. I hafta tell the surgeon dude there is no choice, really. And no..I don't wanna see them poking my eyeball anyway, lol.

It will be so nice to see out of that eye again. I can now...but not very good.

It's like waking up after surgery feeling them take catheter out. It's an orgasm

 

[rightwinger]

I had it done five years ago

While it sounds horrific, you have almost no feeling in your eye. I was awake and all you see is a bright light. Recovery was quick, eye drops and goofy looking sunglasses for a couple days

The end result is great. First time I could see without glasses since I was seven

 

[Granny]

Thanks for posting the subject, Gracie. I'm right there with you - facing cataract surgery in both eyes. Yeah ... when you're talking about vision ... it's a scary proposition. Thanks to all those who have posted to this thread - it's been very helpful to me. I'll have to have two procedures on both eyes. I had a eye scare a few months ago and got a next day appointment with my eye doctor: every time I blinked it felt like scales all over my eyes. Turns out I have "blisters" on my eyes that will come and go. Cause is unknown, but generally happens as a "by-product" of age - happens to some people, not to others. At least both procedures can be done at the same time and my doctor can refer me to a surgeon who can do both at the same time.

 

[rightwinger]

Thanks for posting the subject, Gracie. I'm right there with you - facing cataract surgery in both eyes. Yeah ... when you're talking about vision ... it's a scary proposition. Thanks to all those who have posted to this thread - it's been very helpful to me. I'll have to have two procedures on both eyes. I had a eye scare a few months ago and got a next day appointment with my eye doctor: every time I blinked it felt like scales all over my eyes. Turns out I have "blisters" on my eyes that will come and go. Cause is unknown, but generally happens as a "by-product" of age - happens to some people, not to others. At least both procedures can be done at the same time and my doctor can refer me to a surgeon who can do both at the same time.

I've never known anyone who had modern cataract surgery that wasn't thrilled with the result

The new lens will correct any vision problems and you actually get to see clearly again

 

[Oldstyle]

I am being scheduled to finally have it done in my right eye and to be honest...it scares the bejesus out of me. I mean..if he fucks up...I'll be blind in one eye. Being one less boob is livable. Being blind in one eye is not. I need my eyes. BOTH of them.

And...I read that they do not knock you out. They just give you that twilight shit, which does not work on me. I woke up in the middle of a colonoscopy ferchrissakes. I don't want to see that scalpel or whatever the hell it is to have them poking around in my eye and FEEL it...or the "twilight" wears off like it tends to do with me. Will they use anesthesia if they know my body does not take the twilight well?

In short...it's freaking me out.

I had it done last Jan. Gracie and I was just as nervous about as you were. Please don't be scared. It was the easiest surgical procedure I've ever had done with absolutely no pain whatsoever. Even the guy who put in the IV was so skilled at what he was doing it barely pricked. I remember the doctor saying hello to me in the operating theater and a bright light and that's all. Next thing I knew I was in the recovery area. I had almost no discomfort following the surgery and the only pain in the butt was trying to get the little eye shield taped to my face to protect me from rubbing the eye when I slept.

As for the result? Life changer. I've worn glasses or contacts since about age 12. I now have better than 20/20 vision at distance and it's the best thing EVER! You also will see colors so much more vibrantly that you'll walk around for days just marveling at how blue the water is in that lake behind your house or at how red the tile is on your neighbor's roof! I put off having the surgery for about six months and it's the stupidest thing I've ever done! Couldn't wait to go back and have the second eye done! It was even easier than the first one because I wasn't freaked out. Seriously...don't worry...just look forward to having great vision again! Hope this helps...

 

[longknife]

Me too. Wore glasses for 50 some years. Now, only for reading and here at the computer. No sweat. No problem. Done as day surgery - in and out.

 

[rightwinger]

My vision was so poor that Lasix surgery was not an option

Cataract surgery replaced the lens and now I can see without glasses

 

[jon_berzerk]

I am being scheduled to finally have it done in my right eye and to be honest...it scares the bejesus out of me. I mean..if he fucks up...I'll be blind in one eye. Being one less boob is livable. Being blind in one eye is not. I need my eyes. BOTH of them.

And...I read that they do not knock you out. They just give you that twilight shit, which does not work on me. I woke up in the middle of a colonoscopy ferchrissakes. I don't want to see that scalpel or whatever the hell it is to have them poking around in my eye and FEEL it...or the "twilight" wears off like it tends to do with me. Will they use anesthesia if they know my body does not take the twilight well?

In short...it's freaking me out.

you will be happy you did it

i have not had it done

but know many who have

total restoration of sight

if need be i would get it done

 

[jon_berzerk]

Me too. Wore glasses for 50 some years. Now, only for reading and here at the computer. No sweat. No problem. Done as day surgery - in and out.

it has come a long way

when i was a kid my grandma

had cataract surgery

she had to be bandaged up and lie flat in bed for a couple of days

 

[Gracie]

I'm gonna wait awhile. This is just freaking me out big time. Plus, a cataract means cloudy eyeball lense. Mine is not cloudy. Blurry, yes. Cloudy? Nope. I can see colors just fine. I can see the tv. I can see the monitor. I can even read. It does not affect my driving. I do not have halos or glares. Its just blurry. That's it.

So..I am canceling the surgery. Because, mainly, due to me being freaked out about it, plus it doesn't help that the reviews of this particular eye surgeon is not that slick. He has one really bad review. Another doc in his office has an AWFUL review that caused a patient blindness. Did he, or is it just one of the many risks of having someone cut open yer eyeball? On top of that, even the lens can become cloudy, or cause problems further down the road, which means another surgery. And, I have an astigmatism...which means if it gets cockeyed, that is yet ANOTHER surgery to twist it back to where it is supposed to be.

So am I happy as I am now with what vision I have? Yeah. I can deal with it. I CAN see. Just with blur. But cloudy? Nope.

Cataract - Adult Treatment - Cataract - Adult Health Information - NY Times Health

 

[Gracie]

This is what was written about the other doc in the same office as mine is:

Blinded By Doctor ************ Support Group (************ County)


Welcome to a positive support group for people left blind after eye surgery performed by Doctor ***************** MD.
We are just starting and already growing, feel free to share your honest story and let others know they are not alone.


My Dr. ******** surgery story.

I was having problems with night driving and glare during the day, but could see pretty good otherwise.
Dr, ******* performed cataract surgery on my right eye on February 19, 2015.
Dr. ******** surgery left me blind in my right eye ever since.
Dr. ******** has been absolutely no help in dealing with the very long list of pain and horrors I now have to deal with daily.
NONE.
If Dr. ******* had to live, even for one day, with the pain, fear, nausea. embarrassment, loss of freedom and function that I do, possibly he would be less arrogant and more helpful.
Dr. ********* apparent lack of compassion and knowledge in caring for a patient blinded by his surgery hurts almost as much as the physical and mental pain of being blind.
I am sure Dr. ******** did not intend to blind me but he did.

Read the fine print on the surgery contract, you can be blinded by a cataract surgery no matter what the doctor promises you.
If you have had a similar experience with Doctor ******* feel free to share it here to help others know they are not alone.
Please share any helpful hints you have learned for living blind so those of us blinded by Doctor ******* can try to improve our daily lives and thrive despite what he has done to us.

"Together we can get through this!"

Thank you for your time and consideration.
John ********,
********Blindness
********* Ca.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This is the review by the surgeon scheduled to do MY eye:

9/5/2014

Do yourself a favor and stay far away from this doctor. He caused major damage to one of my eyes with a botched up cataract surgery. I have spent years and a fortune out-of-pocket with numerous surgeries from another doctor out of ******** County trying to correct the damage he created. I regret that I ever met this doctor who is still "practicing" medicine but who should just stop.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I cannot choose another surgeon. This is the only group of them that accepts Medi-Cal...which is in essence Medicaid.
So, since we are not sure where we will wind up in the next couple of months....I'm going to wait. We may wind up in another county or even another state and might find one without bad reviews.

 

[Gracie]

Just for funzies...I looked up the other doc that is supposedly the best, just to see his reviews. Imagine my surprise when I found a news report on how he was busted for growing and selling pot. I read the court papers about how he was spotted rummaging around in a field in camoflage while his blue BMW was parked off the side of the freeway, and when narcs approached, he ran like hell but they caught him. By the time they caught up to him before he could get in his fancy car, he was down to a plain white tshirt and dress slacks and barefoot. I don't know whether to laugh or cry. And guess where HIS office is? Right next door to the other two. They are all collected in one tight knit fucked up group, lol.

Yeah. I'll wait. No hurry.

 

[Kat]

OMG Unreal! I have to tell you, right now, until you can find another doctor, I would put it off too. It freaks me out for YOU to be doing it.
My mom had it done a few years ago, and it went great and her vision was great. But, she's wasn't chicken like me.
I mean if I am so freaked out until I run out of the building, what good is that? LOL

I firmly believe when the time is right, the right doctor will come along, and everything will go as it should.

Just my lil ole opinion.

 

[Gracie]

Cataracts are supposed to be like looking thru a milky glass. That is not what is going on with my eye. Colors, street signs, etc...are all clear as a bell. Just BLURRY, not milky. And I damn sure don't want to see stoned eye docs cutting into my eyeball. Especially with internet bad reviews AND on the local CraigsList. Sure, always two sides to every story, but come on. ALL THREE??? From the same office? From different patients? Nope nope nope. Just because I am poor and on medical assistance by the feds does not mean I should get lousy healthcare. And....I want my eyeballs, thankyouverymuch. This scares me MORE than the damn mastectomy. I just lost a boob. But I can SEE it missing. I gotta have my eyes. And I want a decent professional SOBER surgeon. So..I will wait. When it gets to where I can't drive and I AM seeing thru a milk glass...THEN I will ponder it some more.

 

[Kat]

I firmly believe you will know when the time is right.

 

[Kat]

Did one of those doctors actually examine you and say they could see the cataract ? Gracie

 

[Gracie]

My regular eye doctor told me long ago I had one. In March during my regular exam, he said it was worse and NOW it was bad enough for the surgery and for Medicaid to pay for it. I also have an astigmatism. Double whammy. I watched the surgery on youtube...couple of them, actually. So I know how it is done. It makes me nervous. But reading what I read about these surgeons makes it worse because they have bad reviews. And every eye place I visted on the net..including the link above from the NY times, mayo clinic, eye surgeons websites, etc...all say ONLY to have the surgery done when it affects your abilities to drive, work, etc. It depends on the person as each individual is different. For me...it is annoying due to the blurriness but it is not where I can't see colors any different from the good eye. Which also is showing signs of cataracts but small ones. I ain't blind. My vision is not cloudy, nor does it affect my every day life. So...each one of those places said there is no hurry about cataracts. If you wanna wait...then wait. So I am.