Cataract Surgery

[Mike]

I had mine done in 2005 or 2006.

They did one eye at at time and yes, you need a driver because of the sedation. It is not local.

I had a lens implanted that was in use in Europe for some time, but new for the U.S. Insurance wouldn't pay for the first lens because they considered it experimental. They paid for the second lens. These are multi-focal lenses. Prior to the surgery, I wore tri-focals. Now, I use glasses only for the computer.

I'd like to have it done again because today's lenses are even better than the ones I have.

My biggest problem now is with floaters (not caused by the surgery). I'm considering having a vitrectomy to get rid of them.

[TriGuy]

My glasses are self darkening too, but I was very disappointed that the glass in the truck is already UV treated so I had to get clip ons while I drive. They will not darken while in a vehicle and I was bummed about that. The minute I step out though, it is great!

I have Rudy Project Glasses. The new photochomic lenses that they make, darken and lighten really fast even through windshield glass tinted or not. I love em.

http://www.rudyproject.com/sunglasses.html

[Fulltimer]

I had mine done in 2005 or 2006.

They did one eye at at time and yes, you need a driver because of the sedation. It is not local.

I had a lens implanted that was in use in Europe for some time, but new for the U.S. Insurance wouldn't pay for the first lens because they considered it experimental. They paid for the second lens. These are multi-focal lenses. Prior to the surgery, I wore tri-focals. Now, I use glasses only for the computer.

I'd like to have it done again because today's lenses are even better than the ones I have.

My biggest problem now is with floaters (not caused by the surgery). I'm considering having a vitrectomy to get rid of them.

I was wearing trifocals but my vision had deteriorated to the point they no longer worked. The ophthalmologist in Florida said I had a small cataract. He did not do surgery and continued to adjust my glasses. He then said it was the Myasthenia that was causing my vision difficulties.

Here in Colorado, the doctor said it was cataracts and I could get the regular lens implanted that would correct my vision to 20/20 and Medicare would pay the full amount or I could get a lens that corrected my astigmatism that provided a multifocal correction that Medicare would not cover.


The out of pocket expense for the regular lens was about $25.
For the multifocal would have been around $10,000.

For me, there was no choice.

[TxMusky]

Thanks Eric, I will have to look into those the next time I order lenses.

[Wannabe]

Cataract surgery is wonderful. Before my surgery I could not shoot open sights. Telescopic sights was a little better. I was seeing two reticles which put a little square in the middle. Put the square on a pig at 100 yds or less and I had a dead pig. After the surgery I was back to shooting open sights and one reticle.

[Dork]

Ouch!!

Would that be a glaucoma treatment?

I always thought glaucoma was caused by not enough sex.

No, not Glaucoma, I take eye drops at night and in the morning for it.....

The needle in the eye is usually for macular degeneration......

I've got astigmatism and cataracts and glaucoma (no, not from lack of nookie) and the VA is saying I'll need the procedure at some point, but it's not bad enough yet......

[Fulltimer]

No, not Glaucoma, I take eye drops at night and in the morning for it.....

The needle in the eye is usually for macular degeneration......

I've got astigmatism and cataracts and glaucoma (no, not from lack of nookie) and the VA is saying I'll need the procedure at some point, but it's not bad enough yet......

Ben, (Truckman) presented in his blog what condition the needles were treating.

I really wish I had not waited as long as I did to have the procedure. I have probably missed reading at least 500 really good books during the time I was unable to read. Life is too short (at my age) to ever catch up.

[wacojoe]

As someone with significantly impair eyesight, I am always on the lookout for new and better procedures. I just had laser treatment to my right eye in November, and plan on lens implant on the left eye in a couple more months.

I ran across this radically new prospective treatment today using nanoparticles administered by eye drops by chance —

https://www.digitaltrends.com/cool-t...orrect-vision/

[Fulltimer]

As someone with significantly impair eyesight, I am always on the lookout for new and better procedures. I just had laser treatment to my right eye in November, and plan on lens implant on the left eye in a couple more months.

I ran across this radically new prospective treatment today using nanoparticles administered by eye drops by chance —

https://www.digitaltrends.com/cool-t...orrect-vision/

One of the problems with any laser procedures on the eye is the scar tissue left will cause lens replacement to not be as certain to improve the near/farsightedness after cataract surgery.

[wacojoe]

My laser treatment was to clean up surface scars on my right eye left after a prior episode of iritis, when one morning in 2000 I awakened, and I was totally blind in that eye, it being entirely black as a lump of coal. Iritis is a name for enflamation of the eye, causes can be many. My iritis was diagnosed as arising from Sarcoidosis. Initial treatment was massive doses of steroid eye drops and a patch. I gradually obtained some sight in the eye over a 2 year period, but had oodles of floaters and steroids have bad side effects on tissue. I ultimately got a lens replacement in that eye 15 years ago, but did not get full correction in the eye leaving it somewhat near-sighted and my eyelid droopy. I had surgery on the eyelid to lift it, but it was still somewhat droopy although better. Then, a few years later, I got zoster (shingles), which also settled in that eye, which left more surface scarring on the cornea. For the last years the eye has been just good enough to allow depth perception, but not good enough to read from it. The recent laser procedure was to remove the scarring, which has been largely positive, although the surgeon said the scarring was too deep to remove it all.

My other eye, the good one, is very near-sighted with something in the order of 20/400 vision and some degree of cataract impairment. In that one I use a contact lens and glasses for reading, usually with my right eye closed, reading only with my left eye. My goal now is to get a lens replacement in my one good eye, but the doctor wanted me to get the best vision possible in the poor right eye before involving lans replacement in the left eye. Surgery is always a risk (especially with anyone with a history of acute iritis!), so best to have a fallback eye, right?

I want to get one of the new multi-focal lens implants, but the surgeon is trying to dissuade me saying one multi does not usual go well. If you go that way, he says you need them in both eyes. There is no way I am going to have surgery on the right eye again and provoke a recurrence, so the decision on the good eye surgery will wait until the laser procedure has time to settle, which the doctors say will be in a couple more months.

There, you now know much more than you wanted to know about Joe’s eyes, but I got to typing and could not quit.

[Fulltimer]

My laser treatment was to clean up surface scars on my right eye left after a prior episode of iritis, when one morning in 2000 I awakened, and I was totally blind in that eye, it being entirely black as a lump of coal. Iritis is a name for enflamation of the eye, causes can be many. My iritis was diagnosed as arising from Sarcoidosis. Initial treatment was massive doses of steroid eye drops and a patch. I gradually obtained some sight in the eye over a 2 year period, but had oodles of floaters and steroids have bad side effects on tissue. I ultimately got a lens replacement in that eye 15 years ago, but did not get full correction in the eye leaving it somewhat near-sighted and my eyelid droopy. I had surgery on the eyelid to lift it, but it was still somewhat droopy although better. Then, a few years later, I got zoster (shingles), which also settled in that eye, which left more surface scarring on the cornea. For the last years the eye has been just good enough to allow depth perception, but not good enough to read from it. The recent laser procedure was to remove the scarring, which has been largely positive, although the surgeon said the scarring was too deep to remove it all.

My other eye, the good one, is very near-sighted with something in the order of 20/400 vision and some degree of cataract impairment. In that one I use a contact lens and glasses for reading, usually with my right eye closed, reading only with my left eye. My goal now is to get a lens replacement in my one good eye, but the doctor wanted me to get the best vision possible in the poor right eye before involving lans replacement in the left eye. Surgery is always a risk (especially with anyone with a history of acute iritis!), so best to have a fallback eye, right?

I want to get one of the new multi-focal lens implants, but the surgeon is trying to dissuade me saying one multi does not usual go well. If you go that way, he says you need them in both eyes. There is no way I am going to have surgery on the right eye again and provoke a recurrence, so the decision on the good eye surgery will wait until the laser procedure has time to settle, which the doctors say will be in a couple more months.

There, you now know much more than you wanted to know about Joe’s eyes, but I got to typing and could not quit.

Yeah, that happens to me too

Your eye problems have been extensive! I understand the reluctance to do anything to your right eye after problems you have experienced.

Has the Sarcoidosis manifested anywhere else? That is some scary stuff.

Be careful about only reading with your left eye.

You might be influenced to come over to the dark side.

[wacojoe]

There are no good diagnostic tests to determine sarcoidosis. When mine was diagnosed 25 years ago, the doctors were only willing to say the lymph node they biopsied indicated “or was compatable with sarcoidosis results.” That was a bunch better than the Hotchkins or lymphoma they originally told me I probably had though. Kinda of iffy diagnosis. Iritis has about 30 different things which can cause it, sarcoidosis just being one, and I think that diagnosis connected to me was probably merely convenient or best guess at the time. I had X-rays of my lungs last year ordered by my dermatologist for some unexplained reason to eliminate sarcoidosis (lungs are where the condition usually manifests first) and the results were negative. Despite the old diagnosis, I question I have ever had the disease and have no other symptoms.

In the old medical series House, which my wife & I watched often, when he was going through the panoply of possible diseases for the subject of the week, he would invariably throw out sarcoidosis prompting a big laugh from both of us, but he never settled on the disease in a show.

[wacojoe]

I had the lens replacement surgery on my right (good) eye last week and it went very well so far. I chose the mono focal lens optimized for best far vision, which means I will still wear cheaters for reading. The haze is gone from the cataract and my far vision is world’s better already with a promise that it will settle even better over the next few weeks. In preparation for the surgery I had to take out my contact in the good eye for 2 weeks and I got a scary dose of how bad my uncorrected vision was. It made me a bit trepidatious about taking even the small chance of a bad result with the surgery on the good eye, but I chanced it anyway. Glad I did.

This all makes me realize how lucky I am to live now when these things are possible, although I was well aware of that because I am certain I would be dead long ago save for the triple bypass surgery and knowing how many of my uncles dropped dead of heart attacks before that fix was available.

[Dave Grubb]

Glad it worked out for you. I know my wife has never looked back with any regret.

[FredK]

Glad you got it done Joe. Gets better once the eyes readjust.