Cataract

[RedGrapeCornSnake]

Does anyone have any experiences of cataracts and surgery?

I've been having issues with the sight in one eye for months now and, after 2 hospital appointments, I've been diagnosed with a cataract in that eye. I'm in my late 30's so even the dr was surprised to see the cataract. I have to go back in a couple of months to be reassessed and to decide when I'll need surgery.

Any experiences would be fab

Hi Redgrape, I'm older than you but young for cataracts and am having first surgery tomorrow for one eye and the other eye the week after so I can update you afterwards.ive been told it's relatively simple so although a bit nervous I will be glad when it's done as my vision is really poor now.

I've had both eyes done - I was relatively young (although older than you). Its fine. The op took about 15 minutes and the sedation was great. It was uncomfortable but not painful.

Hi Emptynest, I hope it goes well for you tomorrow. Have you had to wait long for your surgery? I've been told that mine is at a fairly early stage so I'm guessing I'll be waiting a while. I was a bit too stunned to ask any useful questions today. Have you had any major issues while you've been waiting with reading/watching tv/driving etc?

Redgrape, it's all happened really quickly actually. I've been ignoring my eyesight for way too long and then when I went to the optician he was really concerned and it's all happened really quickly. I don't currently live in the UK but from what they said to me, they only operate when it is significantly affecting vision and mime is really bad. It's happened quickly and it is probably due to medication I take for asthma. I hope you're ok, try not to worry.

Silvercat, thanks for,your message, can you see really well now? Did you wait long?

First eye done, it feels a bit tender but procedure done very quickly and visit already much better. The change in colours is amazing!

I was told I had a cataract in my left eye last October. My optician recommended surgery because I was young(ish), working and driving. I had my operation the week before Christmas. It took just under 10 minutes and the difference is amazing! Colours are so bright and I don't need my contact lense anymore in my left eye! I've worn glasses since I was young and can't believe the difference. The opening was so simple and not painful at all.

Thanks Silver, that's good to know.

Empty - I'm really glad that your first op has gone so well and that there is such an immediate difference. Hopefully you don't have to wait too long for the second eye to be done.

Onprozac - how bad was your cataract when they operated? I'm also working and driving so obviously not keen to have my sight deteriorate too significantly. I've also worn glasses since early adolescence so the thought of one eye being totally fixed is quite a radical one!.

Thanks all for your reassurance, I'm not feeling quite so overwhelmed (and ancient!) now

To be honest I'd been having problems which I thought was because of my contact lenses. My sight just wasn't sharp and even adjusting the prescription didn't help. I had gone back to the optician again and she mentioned that it was probably the cataract that was causing the problem. I nearly fell off the chair as this had never been mentioned before!
Apparently they normally leave them until they're a lot worse but if you're younger and working and driving they will operate. I was driving with no problem but was aware my vision wasn't as sharp as usual.
Now I don't need a lense in my left eye at all but wear glasses for reading. It's amazing how your eyes adjust! I've been in the car driving to work when I realise I've forgotten to put my other lense in!
The operation itself was no bother and not even uncomfortable. It was actually funny sitting in the waiting room - I was the only patient under 85 and they were all telling me not to worry!

I had surgery when I was 30, over 10 years ago. First one was under GA, second was under sedatives (happy drugs?!), I had to wait 6 weeks in between ops which I found hard as one eye was ok, the other was -6.5, and glasses cannot correct this. Also was told no sudden movement etc so I sat in front of a tv for 3 months... Yawn

Oh and the improvement in my vision from -6.5 and cataracts is fab, not perfect (around -0.5 and +1) is amazing

Hi, I had both my eyes done when I was in my mid 20's ( a very rare side effect from another surgery on another part of my body).
The cataract in one eye was so bad that the surgeon was surprised I could see!
I found the whole thing fascinating, I was fully awake for both with no sedation. Watched the surgery from the inside!!
It's a bit like having a really crap telly, and then one day buying the latest 4K (is that right) HD whizzy telly! The colour, the brightness was amazing!! ( make sure you own some really dark sunglasses)
It's been 15 years now, I've had both eyes lasered, as the cataract will grow again, but can be blasted off! Very quick to do.
I've also had both my vitreous detach! Luckily without pulling my retina.
My inplants are the simple corrective ones, so I got better distance vision but lost my near vision, I now wear varifocals, but you can get these days lens that your eye can flex, so with some eye excise you can still have close vision.
I was back driving as soon as I had the OK from my optician, the only problem I had was driving at night, I would get a lot of glare, this was because of my youthful reactive eyes opening beyond the size of the lens, I was told this would sort it's self out as I got older! ( it does, I'm old 😯😂)

I had one done at 17 and still have a small one in the other eye (was born with them). Surgery was fine for me, I had a GA and needed a few stitches which had to be removed.

I also needed the laser thing done a few years later which was fine.

For me too the improvement was instant and very strange. My cataracts had not changed since birth so I didn't know that everyone else saw better than me!

I don't wear glasses and I've opted to leave the other small cataract so I have that eye that can focus at different distances, and the other eye that is clear but can't focus at every distance. They somehow work together well!

Things have now deteriorated in my right eye so I've been referred for surgery. Had pre op yesterday and have a date in mid March for the op. What was everyone's recovery time like? I've been told off work for 2 weeks, no running for 4 and no driving for up to 5 weeks. I'm a bit surprised that I can't run but I can go back to work (physical job with pulling/bending and lifting although not super heavy weights)

I also have one starting in the left eye so no doubt I'll be back for that one at some point