Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

General health

Mumsnet doesn't verify the qualifications of users. If you have medical concerns, please consult a healthcare professional.

Flip

Original poster

Cataracts operation

12 replies

SamE1995 · 01/03/2023 15:04

Question to those who have had a cataracts operation..

Waiting for an appointment to have the operation but haven't received a date yet.

Two weeks ago I had blood tests and an ECG ready for my op but still no date.

How long will it take now to await an appointment?

OP posts:

MuttsNutts · 01/03/2023 15:07

I had both mine done last year on NHS. I think I waited about six months to get the first one done back in January and then about eight months for the second one at the back end of the year.

It will depend on waiting lists in your area.

JustDanceAddict · 01/03/2023 15:40

Someone I know had theirs done recently- wait was about a month!

YewandOak · 01/03/2023 16:05

I had my second one done nearly five weeks ago. The first was about 18 months before that,I think I waited about 9 months for the first one from the time I first saw the surgeon.

CrispsnDips · 22/09/2023 15:16

I know this is an old thread..are people generally quite elderly when they suffer with cataracts? I’m 59 and think I’ve developed one in my right eye 😳 I thought I was too young…?

Kryten1958 · 22/09/2023 15:35

I had both done privately a couple of years ago so not sure of current NHS waiting times. If you get a routine eye test, the optician will tell you if you have a cataract developing, and then refer you for an NHS op. In my case the optician said both eyes were affected, even though I was only aware of a problem in one. After the worst one was dealt with, the loss of vision quality in the second one was very noticeable.

CrispsnDips · 22/09/2023 15:45

Thank you..is it normal for a 59 year old do you think? I must get to the opticians soon coz I keep taking my glasses off to see if they are dirty 😆😆😆😆

Kryten1958 · 22/09/2023 17:04

Yes unfortunately, I am a similar age.
But my god the fantastic improvement after the first one was done felt like a miracle!

Bumply · 22/09/2023 17:23

CrispsnDips · 22/09/2023 15:45

Thank you..is it normal for a 59 year old do you think? I must get to the opticians soon coz I keep taking my glasses off to see if they are dirty 😆😆😆😆

I was 56 when I had my cataracts done.
My optician had always told me I had congenital cataracts, but it wasn't until my mid 50s that they started to affect my eyesight such that my vision couldn't be corrected.

I had to wait a couple of months before 1st one and a gap of a few months before 2nd, but that was with the option to travel to Glasgow where they had a specialist unit. If I'd waited in Edinburgh it could have been up to a year on the waiting list.

MuttsNutts · 22/09/2023 18:28

CrispsnDips · 22/09/2023 15:45

Thank you..is it normal for a 59 year old do you think? I must get to the opticians soon coz I keep taking my glasses off to see if they are dirty 😆😆😆😆

I had mine done at 56 and 57. Again, I had congenital cataracts so I knew I’d have to get them done sooner or later. Driving at night became a real issue because of the glare the cataracts were causing when lights were coming towards me.

If you’re going to be getting them done through the NHS, I would get to the optician as soon as possible so that they can put you on the waiting list for the first one. And then you don’t get put on the waiting list for the second one until the first one has been done but that may vary from area to area I suppose.

Really straightforward procedure though and nothing to worry about. You won’t believe the difference in your eyesight.

YewandOak · 22/09/2023 18:44

CrispsnDips · 22/09/2023 15:16

I know this is an old thread..are people generally quite elderly when they suffer with cataracts? I’m 59 and think I’ve developed one in my right eye 😳 I thought I was too young…?

I was 58 when I had my second one done this year and 56 when I had my first.

The difference is amazing!

Pushkinia · 23/09/2023 13:27

CrispsnDips · 22/09/2023 15:16

I know this is an old thread..are people generally quite elderly when they suffer with cataracts? I’m 59 and think I’ve developed one in my right eye 😳 I thought I was too young…?

I’m 56 and have had cataracts for a few years. Not quite bad enough for surgery yet, it’ll probably be a couple of years before I can be referred.

CrispsnDips · 23/09/2023 14:05

thanks everyone

i only have a problem with my right eye - the one I wear a contact lens with ..I am wondering whether contact lens usage has made it vulnerable to cataracts?

Flip