# Cataract Surgery **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 28, 2018, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cataract-surgery/816883 "2018-06-28T01:06:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 12
**Author:** ![Skypist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skypist/32/169_2.png) [@Skypist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skypist)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2022, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cataract-surgery/816883/221 "2022-01-06T19:10:14Z")
Well, looks like I might soon be joining the cataract surgery club. Don’t know for sure if I will end up doing it now, but my vision in one eye has gotten worse pretty quickly and is difficult to correct with glasses/contacts. I have a consultation at the end of January. ETA: Age 52 with high myopia. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2022, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cataract-surgery/816883/222 "2022-01-12T01:54:07Z")
Thanks for your advice, which helped to spur me to action. Just got back from the ophthalmologist earlier today. There are various little issues with my eyes associated with becoming an ancient fossil, but the bottom line is that the problem with my left eye is due to developing cataracts. I have another appointment in two months to check on the progression, and will have to decide at that point if I want to proceed with cataract surgery (or I suppose I could decide right now). I’m pretty sure I will do so because my current state of vision is becoming annoying. It could be mostly corrected with new glasses, but if I’m going to have cataract surgery, that should happen first. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2022, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cataract-surgery/816883/223 "2022-01-12T02:59:53Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > It could be mostly corrected with new glasses, but if I’m going to have cataract surgery, that should happen first. So glad you saw the doctor!!! Sounds like it’s nothing too drastic, at least. You and your doctor may want to try glasses-only at first; if the cataracts are progressing slowly enough, but in the long run of course the surgery is the best option. Not rushing into it will also give you plenty of time to do your own research and reading, to decide on the right correction for your situation (do you want the eyes set for distance, close-up, or in between) and to decide on any premium upgrades you may want to spend your own money for. Do you have cataracts in both eyes? Most of us do, when we reach a certain age, but they’re not always bad enough to require surgery. My right eye wasn’t causing me noticeable problems: the left eye was the one that really HAD to be dealt with. I was a little concerned that insurance might try to say “nope, can’t do that one yet” but fortunately they did not argue. Keep an eye (hah) on how you feel your vision is progressing. Before the surgery, I’d come to realize that I was no longer comfortable driving at night. There were a couple of times where I was travelling out of town, and had to break up a trip into 2 days, as a result. If it gets bad enough you may not even want to drive during the day. Both of those, obviously, are a good sign that you don’t want to postpone things any more. I also found that my depth perception was a bit off, due to getting such radically different signals from the two eyes. As someone who started out clumsy, this was frightening (though I managed to avoid injuring myself). ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2022, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cataract-surgery/816883/224 "2022-01-12T03:02:37Z")
> [@Skypist](#): > > ETA: Age 52 with high myopia. I have to wonder if there’s a connection between higher myopia and cataract development. My weaker eye is the one that developed an issue sooner. Not sure if Wolfpup’s left eye is the weaker one. And a close friend - who really should move to Atlanta because Coke bottles are cheaper there - had both done not long after mine. Her eyes were something like -13 or worse even before the cataracts. She and I were both in our late 50s when we had them done. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2022, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cataract-surgery/816883/225 "2022-01-12T03:15:32Z")
> [@Mama\_Zappa](#): > > Do you have cataracts in both eyes? Most of us do, when we reach a certain age, but they’re not always bad enough to require surgery. Technically, yes, but it’s negligible in the right eye. The left eye is the culprit. The next appointment will also run specific tests for glaucoma. This appears to be mainly because of my status as an ancient fossil, and therefore possibly subject to almost anything! I do have a slight amount of ocular hypertension, which is a risk factor. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2022, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cataract-surgery/816883/226 "2022-01-12T03:53:07Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > Within a few hours of the surgery, the anesthetic wears off and you can remove the tape that holds your lid shut. It does take a bit to get used to the bright light and vivid colors, but sunglasses are plenty of protection. > > The places that do eye surgery are all different. I’ve heard several versions of what happens for prep, even up to having an IV inserted, which is way overkill, IMO. For me, there were a series of numbing and dilating drops leading up to an actual injection in the inner part of the eyelid to deaden the optic nerve. Rereading this old post: Neither I, nor my friend who had her eyes done a few months after I did, had our eyes taped shut at all. We both had the plastic guard to protect the eye when sleeping. Also: while they used to do an injection to deaden the nerve, that does not seem to be the standard for cataract surgery any more. Not that it’s not EVER used, but nobody I know has had an injection (beyond the IV). > [@wolfpup](#): > > The next appointment will also run specific tests for glaucoma. This appears to be mainly because of my status as an ancient fossil, and therefore possibly subject to almost anything! I do have a slight amount of ocular hypertension, which is a risk factor. I just had my semi-annual eye exam before Christmas, and my eye pressures were 14 in each eye. Cataract surgery often has a permanent pressure-lowering effect. I asked the doctor, and he said (if I remember correctly) something about the cataract lens is actually slightly swollen and blocks normal eye drainage. My pressures had routinely been in the low 20s for years beforehand, so clearly it’s worked for me. They may also put you on pressure-lowering drops for a bit before the surgery. And if they’re worried, depending on the situation they can sometimes combine procedures - my friend had a goniotomy done at the same time as her cataract surgery. ---
**Author:** ![Skypist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skypist/32/169_2.png) [@Skypist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skypist)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2022, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cataract-surgery/816883/227 "2022-01-12T15:13:38Z")
I was under the impression that it is a risk factor. My worse cataract is in the more myopic eye, just anecdotally. A friend of mine has/had high myopia also, maybe a bit worse than mine, and had cataract surgery a few years ago. We’re about the same age. I must admit the idea of an eye injection is kind of freaking me out!! ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2022, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cataract-surgery/816883/228 "2022-01-12T16:41:33Z")
> [@Skypist](#): > > I was under the impression that it is a risk factor. Apparently it is indeed, which had never occurred to me until yesterday. The friend with the coke-bottle-worthy vision did not have the same risk factors I did (T2DM, corticosteroid use) but does have others. They did the goniotomy not because she’d ever had signs of glaucoma, but because it’s tough to get good pressure readings with such long eyeballs. Myopia is a risk for glaucoma as well per [this link:](https://parkslopeeye.com/the-link-between-myopia-cataracts-and-glaucoma/). Of course, my husband (whose better eye is -5 or so, and worse eye is -7 or so) has only the “normal” amount of age-related cataracts. He doesn’t have any of the risk factors my friend and I do, however. > [@Skypist](#): > > I must admit the idea of an eye injection is kind of freaking me out!! Like I said, that’s pretty unlikely. The friend who had a goniotomy at the same time didn’t mention having any kind of injection, I didn’t have one, and nobody else here (except ChefGuy) has said anything about it. Discuss it with the doctor when the time comes. I will say, it would have required a LOT more sedation for me to stay put for a needle. Abso-fucking-NO-FUCKING-LUTELY not. The friend who had a non-cataract procedure, where his eye doc insisted he do it without adequate sedation, makes my insides turn to jelly. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2022, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cataract-surgery/816883/229 "2022-01-12T18:10:36Z")
> [@Mama\_Zappa](#): > > Like I said, that’s pretty unlikely. The friend who had a goniotomy at the same time didn’t mention having any kind of injection, I didn’t have one, and nobody else here (except ChefGuy) has said anything about it. Discuss it with the doctor when the time comes. I’m pretty sure no reputable place does that any more. I was really pissed off when I learned that it was what amounts to medieval practice in the eye business. I was so pissed that my eye doctor had recommended them that I canned his ass and started seeing my wife’s eye doctor, who is actually operating in the 21st century. ---
**Author:** ![Skypist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skypist/32/169_2.png) [@Skypist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skypist)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2022, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cataract-surgery/816883/230 "2022-01-13T19:56:25Z")
Well, that’s good to hear, though I’m sorry you went through that. I’d have been upset too. The whole procedure sounds a little freaky, but most people seem to feel it was fast and no big deal. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2022, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cataract-surgery/816883/231 "2022-01-13T23:11:50Z")
It’s really not, as long as it’s explained to you what is going to happen before they start. Your optic nerve is dead and they cover the other eye, so you can’t see anything going near your deadened eye, nor feel anything. ---
**Author:** ![Skypist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skypist/32/169_2.png) [@Skypist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skypist)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2022, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cataract-surgery/816883/232 "2022-01-31T17:13:36Z")
So, well, I’m not scheduled for the actual procedure yet but am scheduled near the end of February to get measurements. Doc said I will be lopsided afterwards so will need to get the other eye done soon after, even though that cataract is small. ---
**Author:** ![carnut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnut/32/3531_2.png) [@carnut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnut)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2022, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cataract-surgery/816883/233 "2022-01-31T18:08:16Z")
The lopsided bit can mess you up. This can happen when you get your first pair of glasses too. The bit you can see outside the lens doesn’t perfectly match up with the lenses and you make steps that aren’t there and miss ones that are. I do remember getting my first pair of glasses as a child and falling down and breaking them right outside the shop. The shop was embarrassed that they hadn’t warned me or my parents about this and immediately repaired the glasses good as new again. ---
**Author:** ![Skypist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skypist/32/169_2.png) [@Skypist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skypist)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2022, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cataract-surgery/816883/234 "2022-02-03T17:01:12Z")
Yes, now I have a whole bunch of questions about glasses/contacts that I didn’t think to ask at my appointment! My Rx between procedures and afterward is likely going to be radically different from what each eye is now (high myopia), so I’m not quite sure how I’m going to see anything! ---
**Author:** ![carnut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnut/32/3531_2.png) [@carnut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnut)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2022, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cataract-surgery/816883/235 "2022-02-03T22:48:38Z")
> [@Skypist](#): > > I’m not quite sure how I’m going to see anything! That would depend on how bad your eyesight is in the first place. My friend removed the lens for the fixed eye, but her original eyesight wasn’t horrible. If it had been my mother (legally blind in one eye without glasses) it might have been a whole different story. You should be able to contact the doctor and ask before your surgery comes up. ---
**Author:** ![jasg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f0a364/32.png) [@jasg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasg)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2022, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cataract-surgery/816883/236 "2022-02-15T00:21:04Z")
Between my surgeries, I simply removed a lens from my glasses for the eye with the new implant. ---
**Author:** ![jasg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f0a364/32.png) [@jasg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasg)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2022, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cataract-surgery/816883/237 "2022-02-15T00:27:11Z")
I delayed the postOp exam for my second eye. Just got around to it today. I am 10 weeks and 16 weeks out from surgery. Vision is 20/20, no prescription needed and only use weak readers for extremely small text. Can read tablet and phone without correction. ---
**Author:** ![carnut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnut/32/3531_2.png) [@carnut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnut)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2022, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cataract-surgery/816883/238 "2022-02-15T00:44:49Z")
That’s great news @jasg ! ---
**Author:** ![jasg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f0a364/32.png) [@jasg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasg)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2022, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cataract-surgery/816883/239 "2022-02-15T02:31:44Z")
Thanks! I am very pleased. Haven’t seen this well since I was 10. Seems worth the cost for the Vivity lens. ---
**Author:** ![Skypist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skypist/32/169_2.png) [@Skypist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skypist)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2022, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cataract-surgery/816883/240 "2022-02-23T20:11:03Z")
Well, fargen. I was supposed to get my eye measured today and then be scheduled for the actual procedure a week or two out. But nobody 😡 told 😡 me, and I didn’t magically know, that you’re not supposed to wear any contact lenses for at least two weeks before so the measurements can be their most accurate. So now I am stuck waiting another 2 weeks (wearing glasses 24/7, which is very uncomfortable for me) to be measured and then who knows how long more for the actual procedure date. ARGH! I’m sure I’ll look back on this as just a silly bump in the road but right now am so disappointed. I was looking forward to getting better. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cataract-surgery/816883.md?page=11) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cataract-surgery/816883.md?page=13)