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?

Mins mum, I actually felt a bit vulnerable after the surgery - I'd been able to read without specs (albeit by holding the book 3 inches from my nose) for nearly 50 years, then all of a sudden I couldn't. I was a bit panicky for a little while about it!

DH was a bit panicky seeing me driving without specs......

I do worry that I made the wrong choice but it was a knee jerk reaction on the day

I had my cataracts done in 2019 (late 50s)
I went from -7 to having good distance vision and needing reading glasses for close work.

My sister had hers done and kept her close vision as she does crafts where the natural magnification of very short sight was a positive.

The actual procedure wasn't painful, although I did find it uncomfortable staring into the bright light whilst unable to blink, but that wasn't for long.

I had mine done a few weeks apart.
Took a couple of days off work not because I couldn't see with the one that was done, but because the contrast of having one eye with very short sight and one with distance vision was very disorienting. I ended up poking out one lens from my glasses and blocking it off so I could work on computer with the other eye.

I love being able to see my face in the bathroom mirror, go snorkelling and see the fishes without having to get prescription lenses, go running in the rain etc.

I wasn't able to run for a couple of weeks after each was done.

I have varifocals now just to allow me to switch between reading a book, reading off a monitor and seeing distance just by using different part of the glasses.

I do miss a bit that close vision when you could read tiny print taking off your glasses, but use my phone magnifier app as replacement for that.

I have varifocles now and get constant migraines using computers for work so I think that has influenced me, sorry thinking out loud

I had both my eyes done at the same time and walked out of the hospital with perfect vision after wearing glasses or contacts for short sight, since I was ten or eleven. Apparently from seeing everything so clearly no matter how far away it was, the brightness and the change in colours was something to behold. Obviously so much light had been dulled by the cataracts.

I went privately and got multifocal implants which the NHS doesn't offer. I did enquire about different prescriptions for each eye, one for close work and one for distance, as that's how I wore my contacts, but this was my consultant's recommendation and it works very well for me. There was a tiny bit of laser correction a few weeks on.

The operation wasn't painful or squeamish and when my own lenses were removed it was just like looking through a kaleidoscope. The aftercare was no heavy lifting or bending, being careful in the shower with shampoo for a couple of weeks and obviously really scrupulous with hygiene and applying the prescribed drops.

I never would have believed it could be so quick, so painless and so immediately beneficial.

I really think you need to discuss this in more depth with your consultant, before making a final decision. But do some research first - don't just rely on other people's experiences.

NB: progressive lenses are the same as varifocals.

@PaminaMozart they’re actually quite different. There isn’t a top distance, bottom reading thing like varifocal glasses, they’re like varifocal contacts, where there are concentric rings of different powers.
if you’re thinking about this - try varifocal contacts first.

@minsmum presumably, they just mean they’re going to make you less short sighted, so that you’ll be able to read without glasses? Yes, you’ll have time to chat it through with the surgeon, you don’t want to stay being -8. But reducing it to -1.50 will mean you don’t need reading glasses for a long time.

It’s more common to get them early as you’re very short-sighted.
@abbey44 that’s pretty common, called subcapsular opacification. Depending on the brand/type of implanted lens it’s around 10-20%. It’s usually very straightforward to treat.

For anyone wondering, cataract removal is the same operation as lens replacement, which some people choose to have so they can stop wearing glasses.

I had mine done a couple of years back on the NHS.

Prior to the cataracts I was massively shortsighted jn one eye but getting longsighted with age. My cataracts worsened rapidly and it was horrible. Mine were done separately, but the second was delayed twice because I had to have my gallbladder out and then had to have surgery on a broken shoulder (it wasn't my year!!!) but I was impressed with the speed the NHS did it especially as this was 2021 so just coming out of covid with all the waiting list nightmares.

I now need reading glasses but hey I'm 58, everyone needs reading glasses at 58! My distance vision and general sight is the best it's ever been and I'm delighted with the results.

The procedure was relatively simple. At the time I worked M-T, and it happened the clinics were Fridays and I was back at work on the Monday. There is some aftercare ie drops for a few weeks but nothing ott.

Go for it, you won't regret it x

Everyone I know who have the op rave about how quick and easy it is.

You can also have a lense puy in so you don't need glasses. You have to pay for that but it would be worth it.

@ZenNudist , sorry but your post makes no sense. Every cataract operation involves inserting a new lens!

I had lens replacement last year purely because I hated hated hated reading glasses. I was long sighted. Had them both done about 10-15 mins each eye. It was ok a bit annoying the first night with irritation but overall fine. The worst part for me is my long vision isn't as good anymore and i don't like the halos at night but am getting used to it.

its worth it to be able to see even the smallest print. And not always looking for
a pair of glasses!

@minsmum how did you get on?

@Stressedgiraffe it was fine, I arrived at the hospital at 1pm and was out by 3pm. Honestly if it was on a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being horrible it was a 2. I can't see very well as I can't get my glasses on over the pad and eye patch but that can come off tomorrow. You don't see anything and because of the anaesthetic in your eye you don't feel anything. I have had dental check ups that were more painful. The staff were lovely, the consultant explained it all to me before the op and told me what they doing all the way through. I have taken 2 paracetamol but that's it for pain relief. Honestly it is nothing to worry about , which was such a relief as I pretended I wasn't worried but I was really

@minsmum that's great to hear! So they did one eye? What lens did you choose?
I'm really glad it all went well I was thinking of you today.
Let me know how recovery goes!

My dad had his done via the NHS at a private hospital Spa Medica via referral from vision express. Honestly they were amazing and my dad had a really good experience with them. His vision was shocking. He'd never seen his grandkids faces clearly and didn't even know my husband had a beard. He went from vision like looking through a stained glass window to completely clear vision in both eyes. They did one at a time but it's been life changing for him.
He had some pain for 48 hours but fine after that. He had it done at age 80/81

I’ve had cataracts removed from both eyes, about 5 months apart. Done by SpaMedica but paid for by NHS. Operations painless, untraumatic, took about 20 mins in actual theatre, and successful on both occasions. For the second one, I went by myself on the train to the nearest SpaMedica clinic which was Wokingham, had the surgery, walked back to the station with a plastic eye patch and caught the train home. It was that simple and certainly no worse than having a mole burnt off.

I chose to have my reading corrected, so I will need glasses for distance. There are loads of eye drops to put in every day, starting tomorrow, the antibiotics for 5 days and the others gradually reducing from 6 times a day over a 4 week period. They have told me to self certify for a week off work and for the second week only do what I am comfortable with.
I wanted the reading corrected because I spend a lot of time reading, knitting, crocheting so a lot of close work and I think that I will be uncomfortable being out and about without my glasses to hide behind. They did one eye, I have a check up in 4 weeks and I think they decide when to do the other one.
I was surprised at the speed it all happened at, from my original appointment about the cataract to the op was 11 days

It's life changing, you can ditch your distance glasses usually and just have reading glasses. Dp had one done on a Friday afternoon then the other the following Friday, worked the 4 days in between but I drove him, and the week following the second eye until the check up cleared him to drive (insurance doesn't cover you until then)

Really pleased it went well for you. I had my check up today and the optician doesn't think ill need distance glasses at all. It was a bit of a pain when I was repairing the overflow on the loo and I was struggling to see. So I'll need reading glasses.
My sister had hers done last year. Worn glasses since she was 12 and at first was OK. But has astigmatism in one eye so it's not as good as she'd like.

Oh and when I said I was planning on being off school for two days the consultant laughed and signed me off for two weeks.

@Ohwhatfuckeryitistoride I am glad that your check up went well, they said if I need a certificate for the second week to contact my gp. I asked about astigmatism as a friend had the same problem, told it shouldn't be a problem but no guarantees. To be honest if i t only removes that filmy not from my eyesight it will be worth it

Just back from the clinic. I have surgery booked for 2 weeks from now for my left eye. Apparently I have "significant " cataracts in both eyes. Lovely clinic.
I will go from sepia to technicolour allegedly. Can't wait.

I've had one eye done, last year, in my early 50s (my other eye is fine but this one has always been a bit crap). The improvement in colours is wonderful, though I'm often seen at the Gutermann thread stand with one eye shut so I can match colours, now!

The downside for me is that I can now see how crap my eye is and it took me months to get used to the new level of crapness. It was sudden double vision that prompted the cataract removal, though, so that really needed to be fixed because I was struggling with things like using knives, crossing roads and opening car doors without hitting the car next to us!

Ah not long to wait. It’s a strange operation but over so quickly and results are just brilliant! You’ll smash it x