I was at my regular eye doctor’s at the end of last week for a routine check-up, and discussed a potential Lasik tweak. I’m generally happy with my vision but would like a little more range on reading. We did some tests, and it looks like around a 0.5 adder in my left eye may work well for me. But…it also looks like my PCO is ready for YAG in that eye. I did my right eye earlier this year, and it was a three month wait. Much to my surprise, this time surgery center had an opening for next week. So July 7th I get little holes punched in my left eye. Then we wait a little for stabilization, then revisit the lasik option.
I had cataract surgery, both eyes, middle of June. Knock on wood and not bragging, but I have had no complications (the surgery was so straightforward I didn’t even get happy juice, though I was wired for it — that was the most unpleasant part of the whole two procedures) and my distance vision is so good, I could cry. Still working on the balance between no glasses and cheaters, but I persevere. Doctor knew her stuff, hospital staff could not have been better, follow-ups have been thorough. I even got into a sing along with one of the surgery crew when I commented how one of the machines sounded like Keith Emerson butchering a Hammond B-3 solo on a bad day (we both kicked into Welcome back my friends to the show that never ends… at the same time and the staff had to wait a minute for everyone to settle down. I’m bad.) Got some snazzy looking reading glasses.
And now, the Catholic guilt has settled in and I’m waiting for the other shoe to drop. Story of my life.
the vision improvement is just surreal. i still marvel that this is how i see now.
glad to hear you had a good outcome.
Are you, like me, driving your spouse crazy with all the things you can see now? 
My wife had cataract surgery three days ago. She had retinal surgery at the same time, so they put a gas bubble in her eye to help the retina heal. She can’t see very much through that eye yet because of the bubble, but says she can already tell that what she can see around the edge of the bubble is much clearer than it was before the surgery. She’s excited about what her vision will be like when the bubble goes away.
It reminds me if how it was when I was a kid and first got glasses. The clarity is amazing.
It will affect your tear ducts. Its almost 7 weeks and I have to use artificial tears.
I’ve mentioned it before, but I had my eyes done separately and the thing that struck me most after the first one was that what I had thought of as “white” was actually kind of sepia. Like an old photograph.
QFT. My impression was nicotine over a TV screen; “Mr. Repairman, the color on my TV is horrible; can you fix it?” One wipe with a clean cloth and the brown tint is gone and the color is flawless.
Sorry, I flubbed the quote.
ETA: the Straight Dope banner sure looked weird.
I don’t believe it actually affects your tear ducts. What it does affect, though, is corneal nerves, and those nerves are involved in signaling for tears. Basically, the surgery can interrupt the feedback loop that controls tear production.
There’s also post-op inflammation, and – in some cases (hopefully less and less over time) – the post-op eye drop regimen includes drops that contain preservatives.
Preservatives add insult to injury.
That was my understanding, too. One of the reasons I did Refractive Lens Exchange instead of Lasik up front was to minimize the nerve damage, since I already have dry eyes.
I got home a few hours ago. We did not do YAG after all.
It’s an option down the line, but the surgeon chose to address a different issue today, with my consent. My biggest complaint, as much as I have any, after the surgery is that my vision wasn’t perfect 
That doesn’t change regardless of the status of the secondary cataract. We’ve noted in the past that I still have some residual astigmatism in the left eye, and he thinks that’s likely what is causing my complaint. So, instead of YAG, we did something called limbal relaxation procedure. Basically, it’s tiny cuts in the cornea to adjust the shape.
I have antibiotic drops - three times a day for 3 days. No restrictions. I do have some burning in the eye right now, a few hours later. He told me to expect some scratchiness for about 24 hours, and to lubricate it liberally. It’s currently a little blurry, but that should resolve by tomorrow. I likely won’t get full benefits for about two weeks, and he says I might not notice it as it happens because it’s fairly gradual.
I’d welcome comments from anyone else who has had this, just for knowledge and discussion.
It has been 7 weeks since my ( right) cataract removal. Once I stopped the drops there was blurriness.
I do use refresh tears when it feels dry.
Tomorrow dr will get my prescrip for the new lens of my glasses( right one) bifocal so I can read normally. Its only mono far. I miss wearing glasses, prefer them.
Medicaid wont cover the lens so gotta ask my church to help.
Google thinks Ohio Medicaid pays for post cataract surgery eyeglasses, which is separate from the regular Medicaid vision benefits and limits.
… lenses (eyeglasses or contact lenses). This includes one pair of standard post-surgical eyeglasses following a cataract surgery that implants an intraocular lens. [1, 2]
Key Coverage Details:
- What is covered: Standard frames and lenses. In some cases, medically necessary contact lenses for aphakia (the absence of the eye’s natural lens) are also covered. [1, 2]
- Medicaid limits: Coverage for post-cataract eyewear is often considered a separate medical benefit rather than a part of standard routine vision benefits. Standard routine vision is limited to one exam and one pair of eyeglasses every 12 months for individuals under 21 and over 60, and every 24 months for those aged 21 to 59. [1, 2]
- Next Steps: Because rules can vary slightly depending on your specific Managed Care Plan (like CareSource or Buckeye Health Plan), you should ask your surgeon to verify
Ha! My 2022 post:
I ended up getting both eyes done.
Almost a week later, thought I’d post some more thoughts in case others end up having this done.
The first day or so was a bit uncomfortable - probably a dozen episodes of stinging in that eye. They resolved with more lubricating drops, so maybe my very frequent drop usage wasn’t enough.
After about a day, those randomish events resolved. Today, on day 6, the eye is still somewhat tender. I’m cautious when I dry it after washing my face, and if I close my eye tightly, it stings enough to remind me to Not Do That. But even that is improving every day.
Right now, the only time it bothers me really is if I yawn, sneeze, or otherwise clench up.
Vision-wise: The first few days it was definitely blurrier than before the procedure. It’s now roughly the same as before. I was told it takes about two weeks to see improvement, and I’m not quite one week in, so I’m cautiously optimistic.
I still expect that I’ll end up getting a YAG procedure done in this eye, eventually. Probably. Maybe.
It should get better for you. Hopefully it will be!
I had both of my eyes done back in 2019. Tomorrow, my wife has a consult for having both of her eyes done. They’ll likely be done in the coming 2-3 months. She is a T1D, a Type 1 Diabetic, and because of this she has had diabetic retinopathy. After her cataract surgeries, I wonder how much better her eyesight will be. For years because of her T1D she has been slightly ‘vision-challenged’. Her visual acuity hasn’t been great. So while her lenses will be replaced, her retina of course won’t change.