Cataracts- what's the operation like?

[Stressedgiraffe]

I went to the opticians at the weekend for new glasses but the optician said due to cataracts she couldn't prescribe me any and would refer me to an eye clinic.
Well they phoned today and want to see me next week. Depending on how the appointment goes the clinic said they could do one operation that day!
Firstly I'm still a bit shocked I have cataracts as I'm only in my 40s and a bit surprised at how quickly this is moving as its nhs.
If anyone has had anything similar how was the actual operation?

Yes I’ve had lens replacement because of early cateracts, and I now have bionic eyes! A couple of things - I had one eye done at a time about 6 weeks apart and a week off work with each, and light hours the second week for each. I do document heavy and screen-heavy work though. I really couldn’t see out of the eye at all for a couple of days - 2 or 3 I’d say. I guess if you have both done at once you would be quite reliant on help and assistance and wouldn’t be able to do much more than sit around at home for at least a week.

second, I had lenses of different diopters in each eye. So my left eye was set at reading glasses strength so I could read my laptop easily without needing glasses and my right eye was set slightly farsighted so I didn’t need glasses driving in the dark. My brain just automatically knows which eye to make dominant depending on what I’m looking at. It’s really clever, I would definitely ask your surgeon about that. So I don’t use any glasses at all now, although as I age more I will probably start to need reading glasses - but 5 years on (I’m 55) I don’t need to yet.

@Delphigirl was that through the nhs?
I wasn't planning on taking any time off.
I'm off for 2 days after then it's the weekend so I can take it easy. I work with the computer doing online training so hopefully it'll be OK.
Hadn't thought about different lenses. But I think the standard is just distance. Which I'll be more than happy with as my current glasses are -8.5. So any improvement will be great.

No it was private as I had to time it carefully with work. Yes I went from -6.5 and it was a revelation. I’d worn glasses since I was 8. I think it is worth talking about different diopters (even if only +.5 -.5 as it wouldn’t cost the nhs any more than making you 0/0

Life-changing!!!

I still remember going for a walk in the park immediately after the op and being able to see individual leaves on the trees. After having been unable to function without increasingly strong lenses since age 13.

Do discuss different lense options though.

I’ve just remembered that I had a bit of an allergic reaction to the antibiotic they inject into your eyeballs afterwards, which made my eyes very puffy and inflamed and photosensitive. So my recovery time was probably atypical.

Life changing!
I was -10 in each eye
Had them done within 6 weeks of each other on nhs
I was amazed to find my vision was near normal on the way home from hospital!
Steroid/ Antibiotic drops for a month afterwards.
Op took around 15 minutes, felt strange but not painful
Honestly you'll be amazed what a difference the op makes

This all sounds amazing!
Quick question how do you see in-between the appointments?

I had both done at once and had no issues at all. Just had to put drops in regularly for a couple of weeks and wore dark glasses to protect my eyes from the light as the glare seemed really strong.

No glasses, no contact lenses - amazing.

You can see with the operated-on eye immediately.

I used disposable contacts until the second eye was done.

I had mine done at 46. It’s a very strange op. But doesn’t hurt and is over before you know it. So good being able to see afterwards without glasses! Remember you can’t necessarily drive straight away.

I took my aunt’s glasses to the optician and they removed one lens.

Good luck. I’m looking forward to having mine done but I’m in for a much longer wait.

If you have an astigmatism you may still need glasses after. I went from -8 to +.75. It’s amazing how you can see so much better.

Before my cataracts started developing I could see perfectly, didn't need glasses at all.
I only need them now so as to be able to read small print as it's a bit blurry without if that makes sense.

I had my 1st op on Left eye at 55, the 2nd on the right 8 weeks ago, I'm 57.

To me, during both ops, the process was... uncomfortable, but not painful. They put anaesthetic drops in and on the second one a small 'pessary' in the corner of my eye.

They both felt a bit scratchy afterwards, like I had an eyelash or something under my eyelid for a week or so after, I guess that was just the eyes healing, but fine now.

I work in primary school 1-1 with a little one who is Autistic, loves playing with sand water etc but is a thrower, everything gets thrown chairs, toys etc so I was only working half days to begin with after the op in another class, as I couldn't risk getting sand/water or anything getting in/hitting my eye.

You'll be given a plastic shield to wear at night so you don't rub it.

You're advised not to get water in the eye for a good few weeks so I used a cotton bud to wipe round my eye with cooled boiled water.
Showering was interesting, I used to put cling film on my shield then tape it to my eye/face so water wouldn't get in.

You're also advised to not lift anything heavy, and to do light house work, no dusting so as not to get any thing in the eye and it becoming infected, this also included makeup.

I was given 2 lots of drops afterwards, one was an antibiotic to put in my eyes 4 times a day for 2weeks then, 2 drops a day for another 2 weeks.

That was rather long, sorry ☺️

I've always been short sighted needing glasses and contacts but quite recently my vision seems to have improved in distance but worse close up.
Reading up I see it may be the onset of cataracts so have booked an appointment for Friday.
Watching thread with interest.

I went an appointment at opthamology last week and just received a phone call. They have booked me in for Monday to have my first eye done.I am a bit worried, I opted to still wear glasses for distance. I don't know why I am worried

@minsmum we can keep each other company I due to see the clinic next Thursday

Between each eye, I popped out the lens in my glasses so I could still see
Please don't worry, the procedure is quick and painless and you're talked through every stage

I opted for distance so I wear cheap £5 glasses for reading now

Just had my first done. 20 mins. Weird experience but painless. My left eyesight is now really bright. Wonder if this what it's like when you're a kid. Depth perception a bit wonky, but getting there.

Procedure took about 10 minutes - slightly weird sensation because they was your eye out so much.

Spent 24 hours with a rather piratical eye patch to stop eye rubbing (although you can't rub your eyes for several weeks while your eyes heal. No time off work apart from day of op and day after. Went from prescription of 13+ in one eye to 0.25 and 11+ to 0.75. Procedures about 10 weeks apart. Popped lens out of specs until both eyes done, and used over the counter reading glasses. Now just have prescription reading glasses.

'My left eyesight is now really bright' Ohwhatfuckeryitistoride, the consultant said it would be like going from sepia to technicolour, and it was!

I had my cataracts done last year (at the age of 65 and after wearing glasses/contact lenses since I was 4) on rhe NHS, so both of mine are now good for distance. I had been -6.5 and -7.5 and it has been a revelation to be able to see clearly out of the window as soon as I wake up in the mornings!

As PP have said, the operation itself is painless and quick, just some odd sensations, but one thing I did notice was the fabulous colours you see when it’s going on, a bit like a lava lamp or the Northern Lights - cerise pink, viridian green…absolutely beautiful. The surgeon said it’s the light refracting through the old lens as they remove it.

Unfortunately, I’ve had a very rare complication in both eyes since, which is just sod’s law, I suppose. The new lenses have gone cloudy and blurred, like having cataracts again, and I’ve had to have laser surgery (capsulotomy) to try and clear it. It’s better now in one eye but I need further treatment to the other. As luck would have it, my driving licence came up for renewal during this time and because of the blurriness, I failed the visual fields test and it wasn’t renewed. I don’t know when or if it will be, although my consultant is doing everything possible to try and get my eyes back to a good enough standard so I can appeal the decision.

Despite this, I’m still glad I had the operations for the improvement in my distance vision and for not having to wear contact lenses any more.

Why did you opt to still wear glasses for distance, @Minsmum? It seems an odd choice. I think most people go for distance or progressive lenses, or different lenses in each eye. For me, the chief benefit of the op was not having to wear glasses anymore (except for reading).

@abbey44 - one of my eyes needed lasering as well, but it was a very simple and quick procedure. It has been absolutely fine ever since - and it has been 6-8 years at least.

My mum had this surgery and it really improved her eye sight. Wishing you all the best with the procedure.

Because I have always taken my glasses off to read a s I don't feel comfortable reading with glasses. I know most people prefer the other option but it feels right to me. They didn't offer progressive lenses

Oh heavens what if I made the wrong choice, maybe that's what is making me nervous. I suppose I have worn glasses for 60 years and I hide behind them