Cataract surgery

[Mayne]

Thanks Muse. I will be going thru the same stuff you are. We can be cataract brothers.

 

[Muse]

ask about how many cataract surgery they have done and are they up to date

I don't know if I'd get a straight answer. I don't figure to see him before the surgery day. I'm scheduled for measurements in a couple weeks, about 2 weeks before the procedure date.

I read the public resume of every opthalmologist they have at my local office. Every one has listed cataract surgery as one of the things they do. I chose the guy I did because he had affiliations with UCSF medical center, he didn't just list cataracts in his list of specialties but mentioned it in his personal statement, his picture looked great, also he's the head of the department. In addition, he's the only guy I saw a positive plug for at a local online info sharing site. My PCP says I'll like him. I had to wait a long time to get an appt. (over a month), that day was today. It's a mill, what are you going to do, however I like my chances of it going well.

They do both eyes at once these days, but he told me that in private practice they still never do that. But it's the norm now at Kaiser, as long as I'm OK with it. If I opted for two different days, I'd pay more. Plus I'd have to go to the trouble of going twice. I'm OK with both at once as long as I'm reasonably functional and he assured me that wouldn't be an issue. They say I'll but pretty normal by next day.

 

[Muse]

Thanks Muse. I will be going thru the same stuff you are. We can be cataract brothers.

Hope you have a miraculous improvement with your vision. I think my vision will improve a ton with it. My eye health seems to be great except for the cataracts.

 

[sdifox]

I don't know if I'd get a straight answer. I don't figure to see him before the surgery day. I'm scheduled for measurements in a couple weeks, about 2 weeks before the procedure date.

They do both eyes at once these days, but he told me that in private practice they still never do that. But it's the norm now at Kaiser, as long as I'm OK with it. If I opted for two different days, I'd pay more. Plus I'd have to go to the trouble of going twice. I'm OK with both at once as long as I'm reasonably functional and he assured me that wouldn't be an issue. They say I'll but pretty normal by next day.

cataract surgery is pretty mundane these days. My mom had them done one at a time. On taxpayers' back of course

 

[Mayne]

Hope you have a miraculous improvement with your vision. I think my vision will improve a ton with it. My eye health seems to be great except for the cataracts.

I can't see out of my right eye and my left eye is getting worse byi the day. I'm tired of wearing sunglasses.

 

[Mayne]

now that I have an apartment that is mine, free of animals aka nephews adn their drug addict girlfriends. I can finally concentrate on me. Time to take care of myself.

 

[sdifox]

now that I have an apartment that is mine, free of animals aka nephews adn their drug addict girlfriends. I can finally concentrate on me. Time to take care of myself.

Go get them eyes done.


https://sunnybrook.ca/team/member.asp?t=2&page=483&m=26

 

[Mayne]

Go get them eyes done.

I am man. It's like i've experienced 2 years of what someone who is legally blind feels. Good thing I know my job so well or else I would of been really fucked. It's amazing how much you try to memorize everything around you.

 

[Muse]

cataract surgery is pretty mundane these days. My mom had them done one at a time. On taxpayers' back of course

My mom had them done one at a time too, I suppose I provided the transportation. I like both at once.

 

[sdifox]

I am man. It's like i've experienced 2 years of what someone who is legally blind feels. Good thing I know my job so well or else I would of been really fucked. It's amazing how much you try to memorize everything around you.

Yeah no, trades and poor vision is just recipe for disaster. Not like you sit at a desk.

 

[Muse]

My bilateral cataract surgery arrival time is 9:30AM tomorrow. I'm kind of jacked for this.

ask about how many cataract surgery they have done and are they up to date

My guy is the head of the ophthalmology department. He's the only one in the department for which I could find any reviews, and for him it was totally positive. I had to wait a long time for an appointment, but figure that was worth it.

I'm very confident. I'm getting standard lenses, nothing fancy, target focal distance 40cm, so I can read without glasses. The surgeon assures me I'm getting the very best lenses there are. I've worn glasses all my life, so having to wear glasses for computer, driving, distance in general is just exactly what I'm used to.

 

[Muse]

I have cataracts but not severe enough to warrant replacement yet. I have no idea what the cost difference is to go with multifocal lenses but the thought of not needing glasses at all is very appealing.

If I were to go with anything but standard lenses it would be an extra $2000+ I believe. And I wouldn't see as well. The downside is having to wear glasses but I've worn glasses for everything except real close stuff since a teenager, so that doesn't concern me. It's not the money so much as knowing I'll have the best vision with standard lenses, that's why I'm going with them. With other than standard (i.e. multifocal or monovision, etc.) there are potential issues... glare possibly, difficulty adjusting.

 

[pcgeek11]

I have cataracts but not severe enough to warrant replacement yet. I have no idea what the cost difference is to go with multifocal lenses but the thought of not needing glasses at all is very appealing.

I had mine done in September and from discussions with my doctor multifocal causes some to have issues as one eye is set for distance and the other is set for close work and their brain doesn't like it and they have to get one eye redone, and the glare problems.

I had both of my eyes done for distance, but the left eye seems to be focused a bit closer than the right and the right is focused better for distance. I see really well for distance 20/20 in the right and 20/25 in the left and I can read a monitor or book without glasses. I do use off the shelf reading glasses +2.5 for close work as it gives me less eye strain.

That being said I did have to pay for the premium lenses and the advanced testing to get more accurate focal measurements. Well worth the added expense in my opinion. It is great not wearing glasses. Do not wait until you have to, I put it off for years and kicked myself in the butt for waiting so long.

The added cost for mine were $2,700 for one eye and $2,000 for the other. Worth every dime.

 

[Carson Dyle]

So, how old are all you folks having cataract surgery?

 

[Muse]

So, how old are all you folks having cataract surgery?

I turned 75 early August.

 

[Muse]

I had mine done in September and from discussions with my doctor multifocal causes some to have issues as one eye is set for distance and the other is set for close work and their brain doesn't like it and they have to get one eye redone, and the glare problems.

I don't know all the technologies but what you describe there isn't IMO "multifocal" but rather "monovision." Monovision is when you have one eye focusing at a different range than the other. For example, you might have left eye focusing at 24" and the right eye at infinity. Many people like that. You can get glasses that do that. I have some but never got into them. Instead I just used my computer glasses for around the house, distance glasses for everything else.

I had appt with ophthalmologist around 5 years ago who said I wasn't ready for the surgery and that if and when he gets it he would get monovision. But my guy now says I wouldn't like it. I am not willing to chance it. Yeah, with glasses maybe I'd be as good as what I'm getting but I might not like the effect without glasses.

There's lots of options. Mine is simpler, cheaper, less apt to result in a condition I'm not pleased with, IMO. It's both eyes targeting for 40cm focus.

 

[pcgeek11]

So, how old are all you folks having cataract surgery?

63, turn 64 in March of 2019.

 

[pcgeek11]

I don't know all the technologies but what you describe there isn't IMO "multifocal" but rather "monovision." Monovision is when you have one eye focusing at a different range than the other. For example, you might have left eye focusing at 24" and the right eye at infinity. Many people like that. You can get glasses that do that. I have some but never got into them. Instead I just used my computer glasses for around the house, distance glasses for everything else.

I had appt with ophthalmologist around 5 years ago who said I wasn't ready for the surgery and that if and when he gets it he would get monovision. But my guy now says I wouldn't like it. I am not willing to chance it. Yeah, with glasses maybe I'd be as good as what I'm getting but I might not like the effect without glasses.

There's lots of options. Mine is simpler, cheaper, less apt to result in a condition I'm not pleased with, IMO. It's both eyes targeting for 40cm focus.

Yes you are correct. I got my terms mixed up....

My Dr. explained that the multifocal doesn't give excellent results for far or near, but are usually acceptable for both. He also said you have to learn or teach your brain how to use them which takes getting used to.

Funny about the opthamologist telling you that you aren't ready. Mine said the opposite from years ago. He said: I cannot see through your eyes only you can do that, you tell me when you are ready.

 

[Exterous]

Man, AT is getting old. The Hardware section is going to end up with a Hip Replacement sub and P&N is going to start being divided among the pro and anti cremation crowds

 

[Muse]

Man, AT is getting old. The Hardware section is going to end up with a Hip Replacement sub and P&N is going to start being divided among the pro and anti cremation crowds

Dude, every person living is going to be a day older tomorrow than they are today (provided they don't die, then they are off the grid). People think too much about age. "But I was so much older then, I'm younger than that now." -- Bob Dylan, from My Back Pages.

 

[Muse]

My Dr. explained that the multifocal doesn't give excellent results for far or near, but are usually acceptable for both. He also said you have to learn or teach your brain how to use them which takes getting used to.

Funny about the opthamologist telling you that you aren't ready. Mine said the opposite from years ago. He said: I cannot see through your eyes only you can do that, you tell me when you are ready.

Yeah, I saw no reason to chance the intangibles, just get it done how I have the least chance to regret my decisions.

I wish my Opthalmologists had been as accommodating as yours. I couldn't get them to approve until I went out of system and had an exam at the local university's eye clinic. They said "you're ready" and I took that to the bank, er, my HMO. Meantime, I have to say, I was getting hell of pissed because of the injuries I was sustaining skating. This procedure may indeed have saved my life, literally.

Your doctor leaving the decision up to you tells me that you're not with an HMO. My HMO for the last couple of years will do both eyes at once, assuming you're a good candidate for that (my doctor said I was). They told me that this is still not done in private practice, and that's probably for economic reasons more than anything else. You not only have to have two separate operation days, maybe months apart, you pay twice.

 

[Muse]

It's been 24 hours since the procedure, actually two procedures, 10 minutes apart. From waiting room until I emerged post-op, it was about 1.5 hours.

They were well organized, a team of around 8 people all in all, I'd estimate. They kept asking me questions, it's mandated procedures to:

1. Make sure they've got the right guy
2. Make sure they're doing the right procedure

They showed me two boxes that contained my new IOLs (intra-ocular lenses). I asked if they were custom made for me and was told that they take my exam results and pull the appropriate IOLs, IOW, not custom made, but custom selected from pre-made. They handed me two cards detailing the specs on each IOL I was getting.

They gave me the option of taking a pill to calm my nerves. My blood pressure was as high as I'd ever seen it pre-op: 155/70. They gave me a tiny pill (Atavan) to put under my tongue. They put an IV in my right hand. That was a just in case measure, they never connected anything to it.

They kept testing my BP periodically, and was told that it had dropped from where it was when I had arrived.

They left my clothes on, unbottoned my shirt a little and stuck a couple sensors on my chest.

Wheeled me into the operating room and went to work after a nurse explained what to expect. She told me to ignore changes, sensations, etc. ... just keep looking at the bright lights I'd see.

They did right eye, then left. Leaving, I could see out of the right a LOT better than the left, which worried me.

A few hours later, I could see way better out of the left than the right. Hmm.

Not much pain to deal with, just some burning and a couple naps really helped with that and a night's sleep did wonders. In the morning, I'm WOW! My reading distance vision is perfect without glasses! With my old distance glasses, left is perfect at distance, the right not quite.

The verdict: Phenomenal! All that glare that was a super annoyance that's been getting worse and worse is GONE! I'm just OMG this is amazing! I have close to perfect vision now and when I get my new glasses I'm sure it will be better. Today, in the office (I revisited the doctor today) they tested my reading distance without glasses and I'm already 20/20 both eyes, no pain. I'm taking drops 4x/day this week, one an antibiotic, the other a steroid. The later I keep doing for 5 weeks, tapering, the former just one week. I get new Rx in a month.

Saw the doctor this morning for 1 day post-op evaluation. He looked in both eyes with a scope and proclaimed them "pristine!"

 

[Carson Dyle]

Damn. Now I wish I had cataracts.

 

[Muse]

Damn. Now I wish I had cataracts.

Well, you may some day. You may even have them now, just don't know it. They come on slow, at least they did for me. I played golf with a guy around 6 weeks ago, he must have been early 30's. He said he had a pretty bad cataract in one eye and needed a procedure but the $2500 or so it would cost him was a lot right now... his wife is about to have their first baby. That kid should be due just around now, actually. He'll get the eye fixed when the expense isn't going to hurt that much. Being on Medicare, and having the standard procedure, the expense for me is pretty low.

Gotta say, I've had a few operations, all out-patient. This one is by far the most positive result. I'm just OMG, this is fantastic.

 

[Eno Safirey]

Congratulations, Muse on your successful experience. It's been about four months for me and everyday is filled with new reminders of what beauty there is in everything around me. Try to imagine wearing dark sunglasses for years and then suddenly casting them off.